Wheels and Feels
by RhythmUnseen
Summary: Backstory and life of my OC Skye Miriage and her time before and after attending Beacon. It contains NSFW elements in later pieces so be warned! This follows her life as a child learning how to walk again after an incident with Grimm, finding friends, escaping, ultimately falling in love and following her struggles to become a Huntress and her adventures as a huntress!
1. Chapter 1

*** Journal entries from one Skye Miriage, Case 10072. The following are collection of her journal entries, written in her personal console. They closely examine her mental state throughout the experimentation process and her training.***

At Atlas Facility…

"You're going to love it here Skye," the lady dressed in an Atlas lab coat said as she tried to wheel me through the sliding doors. I took control of my wheelchair and wheeled faster so she couldn't push me.

"I can push myself thank you. I don't need your help," I said annoyed. I was only thirteen years old but I was tired of being treated like I was disabled. It made me so mad when all everyone else ever saw was a little girl in a wheelchair.

"Very well," my new introduced escort said. She sounded a little insulted but it didn't look like she minded. "As I was saying," she continued, explaining this facility while showing me the way.

The hallways were as long as her words, white walled and pristine. I looked around my new home with a burning in my chest. When I was much younger I got into an accident. I woke up days later to find out that I couldn't use my legs, I couldn't feel them at all. It was such a shock to me but my parents helped me through it and I continued my life. There was one problem, I was dependent on everyone else. Everyone saw me as just a girl in a wheelchair that needed help. I couldn't stand that. I wanted to stand on my own two feet again, literally. One day, a man and a woman from Atlas said they could give me my legs back. All I had to do was agree to be a part of their experiment. My parents were hesitant but I accepted immediately and before I knew it here I was.

"And here is your room," she said, leading me into a lavish room furnished and extremely clean. "This will be your room for when you are here."

I took a quick lap around glancing at everything before wheeling back to the lady. "When do I get to start?"

"I'm sorry, start what?" she asked confused.

"When do I get to start walking again? When do I get to start training? When-."

"Whoa whoa whoa young lady. Not so fast. In time, in time you will get your chance to walk again. Of that I am certain," she said calmly holding up her hands to slow me down.


	2. Chapter 2

Over the next week they either left me alone or introduced me to more adults. They told me that these would be the people that would be working with me for however long it took me to walk again. I tried to hurry them telling them I was ready and wanted to walk again already but again they stopped me and all my efforts. And so it was either me biding my time in my room or the areas I was allowed, or various other meetings or measuring sessions with the people here.

I thought I was going to get to walk again but right now it just seemed like I was being put into school. I hated it. As I roamed around this facility I ran into many more adults. There weren't any kids like me around. It was odd too because in what places I could see there were machines building things or labs doing tests. Actually, it seemed like everywhere everyone was doing tests. It struck me that I hadn't asked anything about this place or where I was before coming here or accepting the Atlas' peoples offer. Shaking my head it didn't matter, all that mattered was that they were going to help me get my legs back.

***  
Finally after more days of taking measurement of my body and my legs and more tests they told me how they were going to let me walk again. They were going to build me a machine that would attach to my legs and my spine to let me walk again. It was going to be like I had never lost them at all. With the way the adults explained it, it was extremely complicated but the leg braces would connect to my spine and my nervous system directly and I'd be able to feel and use my legs like they were new.

After more fitting they told me they were going to now do some tests with my spine. I was happy and excited that everything was moving along finally. Soon I could walk. They laid me on a table and I faced down. I couldn't tell what they were doing but it was silent except for them moving around and setting some things up above and beside me.

"Are you ready?" an older man asked.

"Yes," I said confidently and impatiently.

"This is going to hurt," he warned me.

"Okay. I'll go through anything to walk again."

The man didn't respond to me that time, he only gave me a weak smile before disappearing from my sight. It was a few seconds before the most excruciating pain lanced through my back. I screamed with everything I had. It felt like they were hooking my spine up to electricity. It arced and raced through my limps and jerked my body uncontrollably. After a while I couldn't bear it and the screaming didn't help.

"St-stop! Please, stop!" I screamed and for a moment the pain subsided. I breathed in ragged breaths and cried rivers out from my eyes.

The man reappeared, kneeling so I could see him, "You asked for this remember. This is how you're going to get your legs back. If you want… we can stop."

"No!" I cried, "No, please. I want to walk again."

"Okay," and without warning the pain began again.

I don't know how long it lasted but by the time it was over I felt like I had died. I almost wanted to die, my body ached and my back felt like it was on fire. I couldn't even fight back when they picked me up and put me into my wheelchair. The other thing I could do was grunt and moan in pain and displeasure.

"That's all for today. You did good Skye," said the older adult, smiling weakly.

"Will this… Is this… going to make me walk again?" I mumbled.

"Yes, yes it will," he said putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Good," was all I could managed to say as I numbly began to wheel myself away.

One of the ladies tried to stop me, "Skye, let me help you!"

"I'm fine!" I yelled back, continuing to wheel myself away.

Outside I wheeled myself through the hallways, barely staying awake. I was so tired, I was in so much pain. My wheels began to scrap the walls as I wobbled through the hall. I wasn't even sure I was going the right way. Then I ran into a wall a bit too hard, falling face first out of my wheelchair onto the floor. The shock of slamming into the ground made me shriek in pain, grabbing the throbbing lightning that shot through my lower back. I had heard my chair fly backward away from me and I tried to crawl toward it but it was too far away.

I had begun to cry, "Stupid chair! Stupid freaking legs! Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

With my ear so close to the ground I heard the pity patter of someone's feet running towards me. To my utter surprise and for the first time since the weeks I had gotten here I saw another girl. She skidded to a halt, rounding the corner and spotting me laying on the ground.

"Are you okay?!" she said worriedly and then saw my chair across the hall from my stranded body. "Oh my Gods!" The girl ran up to me and began to drag me to my chair.

"I don't need your help!" I tried to yell at her as she grabbed under my armpits and dragged me across the hall.

"It doesn't look that way," she grunted.

As we neared my chair I managed to shake off of the other girl and land on the ground. "I can get into my chair myself! I don't need anyone's help!"

The girl stared in disbelief at me as I began the long climb back into my chair. She slid over and held its handles, steadying it so I didn't fall out of it. As I reseated myself in it I moaned in pain, having to lean back against my spine. The whole time the other girl didn't let go of the handles.

"Thanks," I said, "You can let go now."

"You're welcome," she responded but didn't let go of my wheelchair.

"I'm fine, really. You don't need to keep holding on," I told her.

"Can I… at least take you back to your room?" she asked.

I wanted to yell at her and tell her to go away but I seriously doubted that I could even wheel myself back now. "Fine," I relented, "but just this once! I could've done it myself."

"Okay!" she said and gently began to push me, "Which room is yours?"

"172, in the dorms," I told her as she began to make turns, apparently knowing the layout of this place. "I didn't think there was another girl here."

"I just got here a few days ago," she told me, "I thought the same thing too when they brought me here. Oh sorry, I'm Andy."

A hand appeared over my shoulder and weakly I shook it, "I'm Skye. Are you here for an 'experiment' too?"

"You too?!" she exclaimed, almost making me run into a wall.

"Whoa!" I yelped, "Yeah well…" I hesitated, not wanting to tell this new girl everything. Then again she tried to help me and seemed nice enough, plus it appeared like she was in the same situation as me. "Well, the Atlas scientists said that they could give me back my legs, let me walk again."

"Oh," she said a little quietly. "How did you lose them?"

I cringed, that I definitely didn't want to talk about. "It was in an accident long ago. Anyways, my rooms is right here. Do you… want to come in?"

"Sure!" Andy said joyfully.

Inside my room I found myself a nice spot while Andy took up one of the sofas. It was odd, this was the first time while I was at this facility that there was anyone my age. She seemed so much like me too. I wondered…

"So Andy," I started, "Why are you here? You obviously can still walk."

Andy laughed a little uncomfortably at my joke. "Well, I don't know how to say this."

"Come on," I began to loosen up, "Can't be as crazy as being able to walk again is it?"

"Oh, no but uhm… they want to turn me into a faunus," she said.

"They what?!" I exclaimed, falling out of my chair again and crying out in pain.

Andy leapt up and helped me onto one of the couches without asking.

"Why do you keep helping me?" I asked her as the pain went away once again.

"Why not?" she said back. She didn't shoot it back but just said it kindly like asking if it wasn't normal to help someone else.

"Well I'm fine on my own you know. Anyways, why are they trying to make you into a faunus? That doesn't make any sense," I said.

Andy chuckled a bit and then put her finger to her chin thinking, "I don't know or understand it myself but they are and they want to try to make me into one."

"But why volunteer for something like that? You did volunteer right?"

"Haha yes I did and well, it just seemed interesting you know? Like, becoming a faunus just seemed so alluring," she said dreamily, gazing off into nothingness.

"You're weird."

"So are you! Not letting others help you."

"I didn't need help, I just had fallen out of my chair!"

"You would still be in that hallway if I hadn't help you I think."

"I'm sure I would've made it back just fine. Just because I can't walk doesn't mean I can't do things myself."

"I never said that you couldn't do things by yourself. You seem very capable."

"I! Well! You know! But!" I stammered, unprepared for something like what Andy had said.

She laughed as I stumbled through my words, "Capable or not I still would have helped you. It's just… the right thing to do."

I crossed my arms and pouted, knowing that I had lost this little argument.

As I turned back we both spoke at the same time, "Hey," "You." Then there was that awkward silence as we both waited for the other to continue.

"You go first," I told her, wanting to hear what she had wanted to say.

"No it's fine, you can go first," she said kindly.

"It's fine Andy, go ahead," I tried again.

"No you…" she paused and eyed me, "Same time?"

I grinned back at her, "Alright."

"On three," she said through a likewise grin.

"Okay, One," I started.

"Two."

"Three."

And at the same time we shouted, "Do you want to be friends?!"

We both stared at each other for a moment in disbelief and then began laughing hysterically. I laughed so hard I fell onto the floor… again.


	3. Chapter 3

I wheeled myself down the hallway wearily. The doctors finally told me what they were doing to my back that hurt so much. It had to do something with my back and my nervous system. They were testing how much of my spine and nerves were working and then making some sort of connection, for what I had no idea. All I knew was that whatever they were doing would help me walk again. That was enough for me to keep enduring this pain. Thankfully they started to give me pain pills that did a number to my back although it still ached.

That Andy girl and I had become quick friends. We got along and were the other two girls that were here. The only two that we knew of anyways. Since we were both here for experiments we had a lot of common ground. She had showed me where she had her tests done and I was making my way there now.

As I got nearer I saw that she was already done with her tests for the day, sitting on a bench outside. It was strange though how she was moving. When she got up I saw that she had one crutch in her armpit and a cast on her right leg.

"Andy?! What happened to your leg?" I exclaimed, skidding to a halt in front of her.

"O-oh this, just a little accident with my tests today. I broke my leg, hehe," she said a little nervously.

"Did the doctors do this?" I demanded, looking her up and down.

"N-no no! Of course not, it was just me being clumsy, honest," she reassured me.

I decided to trust her, her tests could be as painful as mine. "Okay," I grinned to myself before speeding behind her and scooping her up in my wheelchair. Andy fell into my lap with a surprised yelp as I begun to wheel back to our rooms.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she squealed as I sped up through the hallways.

I grinned keeping both hands on my wheels so I could control the extra weight. "You're injured and in no state to walk so I thought I'd give you a ride."

"I can walk just fine!" she yelled into my ear.

"Whatever."

She held on tight around me as I navigated my way back to the rooms. I rolled into my room as it was kind of our habit to hang out after each of our days and she leaped out. I laughed at how frightened she was of a little ride. Then again, seeing her limping on her one crutch, she was injured pretty badly. Andy took a seat on her couch and I went over to my fridge and threw her a soda, grabbing one for myself.

"So how was your day?"

"Well besides the broken leg."

"Oh… Yeah," I stammered, "besides the broken leg."

She went on to tell me about her tests quickly and briefly. Andy didn't much like talking about her tests as much as me. I wish I could learn more but it really didn't bother me too much.

"Hey Andy?"

"Yeah?"

"You know what semblances are?"

She looked up pensively, "Yeah sort of. They're kind of like superpowers right? Like each person has their own one unique to them."

"Yeah," I responded slowly, wondering how my new friend would react. "Well, I don't know how to say this but mine is Restoration."

Andy let out a gasp and grew extremely excited, bouncing up and down in her couch, "What is that?"

"Well, I can heal myself and also… other people," I told her

She leaned back in her chair, "That's awesome."

"You don't really get it do you? I'm offering to heal your broken leg."

"My broken leg," she said looking down at it like some strange alien being, "but it's broken, it's fine now."

"Andy! I'm trying to say that it can be 'unbroken', healed, one hundred percent you can walk," I rose my voice becoming annoyed. "You know what, come here!" I yelled exasperated, rolling myself over to her and pulling her leg onto my lap.

"Skye! Whoa, what are you-."

Her words soon faded and the room was quiet as I placed both my hands on her leg and they began to glow with bright light. They warmed and her leg began to glow as I closed my eyes, concentrated on the heat in my hands and her leg. I don't know how much time passed but when I opened up my eyes again Andy was still sitting there watching me intently.

Wearily I said, "Take off… your cast… and see." My body was drained of all energy but I forced myself to stay awake.

Unbelievingly, Andy slid of the couch onto the floor and gingerly took off her cast. To her amazement her leg was completely healed and no longer broken.

"Skye! That is amazing! It's healed and completely fine!"

I chuckled softly, "Told you." At that I fell out of my chair from exhaustion falling onto Andy. 

* * *

(Plot Note: More RP filler here, sorry guys! Okay so during our RP's Andy and Skye were playing games while at the facility. It had become Skye's habit to walk Andy to the testing rooms she went to every morning although Andy never let her go inside. One day she raced Andy and opened the doors to her testing rooms, bearing witness to all sorts of torture like devices and testing apparatus. It deeply scared Skye from that point on.)

With one hand holding my left wheel steady and the other pushing the right I rolled around in a circle in the hallway. Andy's 'test' were taking longer than usual today so here I was outside waiting for her. I had already tried to go in, politely and forcefully, both times getting rejected. Even with my exoskeleton I wasn't strong enough to get past the security they called on me. Seems they had plans specifically prepared to stop me. Makes me wonder what other kind of plans that they had.

The repressed memories that had become unrepressed were still fresh in my mind. It still hurt to look at Andy's test room door. I couldn't stop myself from cringing or getting a prickly feeling inside of my gut every time I imagined what was beyond those doors. Sometimes I caught myself hearing Andy's screams or seeing her face contort in pain but coming awake to realize it was all in my head. I couldn't understand why Andy didn't tell me about what they were doing to her. That's a lie, I do know why. She didn't want me to worry about her. She didn't want to share the pain. She wanted to keep this pain for herself.

I felt my eyes water up. "Brave little fox," I whispered to myself. She knew that I would try and take as much pain away from her as I could with my semblance. What she didn't know was that I wanted to inflict all that pain and more on the Atlas scientists that were imposing it upon her.

The doors to Andy's own personal hell creaked open, the hinges screaming out as they rubbed against each other. Andy came out walking strongly but I saw in her pale face the struggles of the day's efforts.

"Are you okay?" I asked in a hush voice, wheeling myself up to her.

Andy laughed… _laughed_. "Just another day of tests little bird," she told me although we both knew what those entailed.

I took her hand and squeezed it, "Why do you let them do this to you? Why go through all this pain just to become a faunus?"

"Oh you know," she said evasively, "the same old reasons."

It was the same old response from Andy, avoiding answering my questions about her experiments and tests. It pained me not to press further but I wanted to wait for Andy to tell me herself, to _trust_ me.

"Here," I said annoyed, "let me cart you back like old times."

She chuckled, "I'm fine Skye, really."

I scowled at her, "You look like you're about to collapse. Like I said, you may be the better liar but I can still tell."

I took her in my lap without much complaint and pushed us along the halls back to our rooms. Atlas adults that worked in the facility greeted us as we went along, Andy replying politely while I just scowled at each person silently.

"Say," Andy started suddenly, "Why are you in your chair today? What happened to your legs?"

She knew just how to distract me.

"Oh those things? They're working on them. Rebuilding them for my combat training or something like that," I told her, rubbing the shaved side of my head unconsciously. It had become a habit just to feel the buzzed hair that crew around my bird tattoo.

We talked as I continued to wheel ourselves back to the room. Andy putting forth a lot of effort to talk with me even though I could tell she was exhausted. She ended up passing out a couple turns away from the room. Carefully I took inside of mine, somehow juggling her on my lap and opening my door. Her unconscious body pressed against mine in some heated spots. If I had my legs on and could feel her on my lap I don't think I would've made it into my room.

Somehow I laid her on my couch and got a blanket over her. Andy's fox ears were pointy mountains amongst her red hair, no longer concealable. I thought they were cute and fun to play with.

I sighed at the task at hand, gently putting my palm on her forehead and chest.

"As long as you're not awake to see this," I mumbled as my hands began to glow white.


	4. Chapter 4

Plot Note: Due to inter medial Roleplaying with my friend who created Andy, at this point of the story a good amount of time has passed while Skye and Andy were at the Atlas facility. Within that time span Andy's experiments yield result. Those results were in the form of fox ears that began to grow from her head. They took time to fully develop, starting out smaller until they became full fledged. Skye, being the dork that she is, became obsessed with them.

Plot Note Update: Also between short stories (I KNOW I"M SORRY WHEN WE DID THIS WE DID A LOT OF ROLEPLAYING IN BETWEEN. I SWEAR THE TIMESKIP WILL HAVE BETTER CHRONOLOGICAL LOGIC!) Skye and Andy decided to get tattoos. It took them a lot of time and negotiating, and saving money, for them to finally get everything arranged. In the end, Skye got a diving lark tattoo on the right side of her head where her head was shaved and a fox paw tattoo on her ribs. Andy got the same bird although smaller on her neck and a similar fox paw tattoo on her ribs.

* * *

"Alcohol or fox ears, you choose!" Andy said, standing in front of me. She held my bottle of alcohol at an arm's length away from me.

I was reaching for the bottle pathetically, sitting or slouching on the couch in my apartment. Andy had taken away my bottle after I was getting a little frisky.

"That's cruel. You can't do that!" I yelled at her futilely "I need that! It's not alcohol… It's medicine~"

"This?!" Andy exclaimed shaking the bottle, sloshing its contents about violently. "This! This is alcohol. Booze, it's definitely not medicine and definitely not good for you! I thought you'd know that birdie!"

I had begun to cry, my eyes tearing up as I still yelled at Andy, "The doctors gave me that! It's for the pain."  
That was partly true. The doctors had given me the alcohol but not officially. One of the assistants, I think it was a nurse, took pity on me. She saw all the pain I was going through and supplied me with a steady ration of booze for my troubles. I liked her for that but the problem was that Andy had found out. Rather, in my drunkenness she couldn't help but notice.

Andy placed the bottle on the table across the apartment, well out of my reach since I neither had my chair nearby nor my exoskeleton legs. Damn her for being able to walk.

"The doctors already give you medication, ACTUAL medication and pills for the pain. You don't need this," she told me caringly.

Problem was I could care less about her care. I become irrational and enraged under the influence of the alcohol.

"You don't know! You don't know the pain! All the pain I go through everyday!" I yelled at her stupidly. "Every day! Every single day I go back and all they do is light me up like a Christmas tree! They play operation and electrify my body with pain! Nothing but pain! Everything! Pain! Pain! Pain!"

Andy stared at me shocked and taken aback. I knew why. I had seen her testing rooms and glimpsed her experiments. Her days were just as painful as mine, probably more. They tortured her with experiments and tests every day to the point where she could barely stand. If she could stand she could barely speak or see or hear or… or any number of horrible things. I began to cry uncontrollably as I thought of these things, realizing how much pain she went through. Still the alcohol told me that I matter more.

"You don't understand! You don't know how much pain they put me through every day!" I yelled.

With a pale face Andy came over and sat next to me, wrapping her arms around me and pulling me close to her chest. I latched onto her like the world was going to end. I sobbed into her chest with all that I had. She was my home, she was my protection, she was everything I had in the world and everything that mattered to me. I held her like that.

"I know," she whispered softly into my ear. "I know," it was all the she said. Her voice was low and somber and it told me of how she was thinking about her own days in the lab, constantly being tested on. "But Skye, my little beautiful bird, you are strong. You're stronger than this. You don't need something like that bottle to help you."

"But I do," I cried equally as soft, "I'm not strong. I'm not that tough girl I always act like."

"You're tougher than you know," she said, stroking my hair. Her hand threading through my black strands of hair felt like a dream, calming me more than I expected.

I could tell she was consoling me even though she was thinking about how much her own days push her to and past her limits. That was how Andy was, always thinking about others, always putting them before herself. I loved her for it. It was a quality in her that I adored, but it was also a quality that when I was sober I always fought. I wanted her to think of herself to. Sometimes she cared so much about others that she left nothing for herself. Sometimes I really wished that I could tell her that straight to her face.

Crawling my way up Andy's body like a ladder I got level with her face, staring into her eyes with my balls of water. I kissed her lightly on the lips and then pulled her head into my chest so I could kiss each one of her orangy fox ears.

"Can I choose both?"

"NO!" she yelled into my chest.

"But I-," I tried to argue.

"EARS OR ALCOHOL! NO BUTS!"

"I can have a butt if you get a tail," I teased her.

"Wh-wh-what?!" she exclaimed cutely. "But I don't have a tail…"

"Not yet," I said mischievously

"D-d-don't tease like that! I'm not going to have a tail!"

"Ears," I told Andy, "I choose your ears." To confirm it I nip each of her ears with my teeth, eliciting a yelp from her from each bite.

* * *

I sprinted down the halls carrying my two passengers tucked in my arms. I had to hand it to those Atlas scientists, the new exoskeleton legs were performing beautifully. They couldn't keep up with them me I as I ran away.

My little passengers squeaked and squawked at me as I ran. "Oh shut up!" I heaved between breathes, the new speed of my legs tiring me more than I had expected. Turning a corner I spotted my future partner in crime down the hall.

She began to wave but her expression turned sour when she saw me running. It didn't help when I threw a small armored ball with tuffs of fur sticking out at her.

"Catch!" I yelled passing the idiot off to her.

"Skye! I OOUFF, what in the world is this?"

The little armored ball untucked for a moment, his blue glinting eyes glanced at Andy before he licked her cheek.

I sighed at the idiot, still clutching idiot number two in my arms. "Come on!" I yelled, tugging Andy along with me.

"Stop! You two! Stop right there!" I could hear the scientist and guards bellowing behind us. "Return those two test subjects immediately!"

"Which ones?!" I yelled back as Andy finally matched my sprint, "Us two fine girls or our slightly furry passengers?!"

I could her the Atlas guard stutter as he tried to come up with an appropriate answer. Andy didn't find my joke funny though, she especially didn't like that I was running away from them and that I dragged her along with me. Instead she took the lead, holding my hand so I knew where she was going.

"You're going to explain exactly what is going on later!"

Laughing I yelled back, "Yes mom!"

We ran through the corridors with unparalleled knowledge. We had been here at the facility for years. It was pretty much the closest thing we both had to home. Like home, we knew all the side alleys and places to hide. After doubling back through some side passages Andy yanked me through a doorway into a desolate break room. Andy and I often used this place to get away. No one used it and there weren't any cameras in it. The spot was perfect to hide in and simply be alone with each other.

I crouched next to the door with Andy as she used her superior hearing. I loved watching her do this. Her orange ears would turn and twitch as she heard things that I couldn't and her face was so cute when she focused. It gave me great urges to play with her ears that I had to fight off.

"Are they gone?" I whispered, out of breath.

She took a finger and placed it to my lips. In the hallways a pair of guards walked passed, their voices full of aggravation. A few moments passed and I could no longer hear their footsteps or their voices.

"Now they're gone."

"Good," I said, giving into my urges as I scratched her ears vigorously. "Man, what would we do without these things."

Andy yelped, not expecting me. It almost sounded like she was purring.

"Skye…. Stop, they're sensitive… But, that does feel really good."

"Hahaha," I laughed giving her an extra good scratch before petting her ears and her head. "You're so cute. My cute little puppy."

Her hands shot up and grabbed my hand petting her, "Fox! FOX! F-O-X! I'm not a dog birdie!"

"Are you sure?" I said teasingly.

"Hmph! Fine, no more ears for you for the rest of the day!"

I leapt up from the ground and pointed a finger at Andy, "Th-that's cruel! I haven't even been drinking!"

The passenger I still clutched in my arms against my chest looked up and me and then mimicked me pointing with its wing, squawking along.

Andy yelped in fear, "Grim!"

Laughing, "That's not the only one. You're holding the other."

Andy's gaze quickly shot down to her lap where idiot number one had uncurled slightly from his ball. His wet snout poked out of his armadillo like shell and his blue eyes stared innocently at Andy. She let out another yelp as she tossed him into the air. He rolled himself back up and hit the ground with a squeak, rolling until he stopped against the side of a couch.

"What are Grim doing here?!" Andy exclaimed.

"Well he he," I chuckled nervously rubbing the buzzed side of my head, "They're the reason we're here right now."

Before I knew it Andy had me by the collar, shaking me vigorously shouting, "Explain!"

"Whoa whoa! Okay, okay! Here let's sit down first," I said guiding us over to the sofa. I picked up the rolled idiot and set him on the floor in front of the couch and put my winged idiot on the floor next to him. Andy sat down on the couch rigidly while I lounged next to her.

For a moment we stared at our two new accomplices. The one I threw at Andy began to slowly uncurl himself. He looked like an ursa but miniaturized. That wasn't the only difference though. He had the exact opposite color of a normal ursa, his fur completely white and all his armor black. Different too was the armor plates that covered his entire back like an armadillo. And lastly his eyes burned a soft blue, not the menacing red of normal Grim.

The one I had carried pecked at the other idiot for a moment before giving up and proceeding to clean her wings. She was a mini Nevermore. Likewise her colors were inverted, having completely white feathers with small plates of black armor and a black beak. Her eyes were a darker blue but blue all the same.

"Meet the two idiots that the scientist had me fighting against."

"You fought against them?" Andy asked.

"Yeah… For my combat training they made me fight against them. I only realized too late that they were different. One day I saw them getting shocked with electricity. They were forcing them to fight me. I saw that they didn't want to fight me so I sprung them out. As you can tell, they're… different," I explained.

All of a sudden I felt my ear get tugged painfully. "You broke out Grim!"

"OW OW OW!" I said clutching my now tender ear. "Yeah I broke out Grim! They were being abused and torture. It was the right thing to do."

I could tell that got Andy, she always had the right thing to do in mind. She looked at the two idiots and then back at me. "They kind of remind me of us."

"Huh, yeah you're kind of right. I never thought of it like that."

"Well what are we going to do now?"

"Cook them?"

At that idiot number one yelped in terror, hiding under the wing of idiot number two.

"Skye! That's mean! And it looks like they don't like that too."

"It was a joke! We should name them."

"Name them?"

"Yeah we can't keep calling them idiot one and idiot two."

"You're the only one who calls them that. Hmmm…" Andy hummed thinking. "Can I name the Nevermore Skye?"

I scowled at her, "No way. That'd be way too confusing. How about fluffy?"

"She's not a cat Skye. No… No, how about… Spira."

At that her head popped up from where she was picking at her wing. The little Nevermore tucked away her wings and held her head high proudly. Then she bowed as if accepting the new name.

"Spira it is," I said smiling. Spira took to the air and covered the short distance from the ground to my lap in one swoop. She perched on my thigh and pecked at my hand gently. Chuckling I began to stroke her feathery back. "What about the other one?"

At being called the tiny ursi ran up and began to cuddle with Andy's leg. She reached down and began scratching his chin.

"Awwww so cute," she said.

"Idiot," I mumbled. "Can I name him Fluffy?"

"No, he's too adorable to be named something like that Skye."

"He certainly isn't bashful. Bashful… Basher," I said looking at him. "We'll call him Basher."

The newly name Basher leapt up and licked both of our faces before hoping down. He ran in circles around the room excitedly again and again. With a loud CLUNK he ran straight into a dresser.

* * *

I sighed, "Still an idiot."

I paid the taxi driver as Andy and I hopped out of his car, thanking him before he pulled away. _So far so good_ , I thought to myself.

"Wow! It's so beautiful and big!" Andy gasped staring out at the long stretch of beach and the vast ocean beyond. "I can't believe you were able to convince them to let us go to the beach!"

"Haha," I laughed a little shakily, "Yeah, it took a lot but I finally convinced them in the end."

In reality I hadn't convinced them at all. The moment I even proposed the idea the scientist had shot me down. They didn't exactly want us leaving the facility apparently, much less have the freedom to roam around. No matter what I tried they denied me so I ended up breaking both of us out of that place. Thank god Andy agreed to the blindfold, made escaping a lot easier.

"This is the first time you've ever been to the beach isn't it?" I asked Andy, quick to get off that topic before Andy saw through my lies.

"Yes it is!" she said happily as we walked away from the street. We passed through a row of beach front stores, shops, and restaurants before we immersed our feet in the warm golden sand. "There's so many people around!"

"Yup, the beach is a popular place this time of year. You know what we have to do first right?"

"What that birdie?"

"We have to buy swimsuits."

"Wh-wh-wh-what?!"

"Swimsuits? Bathing suits? You know, the things we wear in place like oh say the beach. Oh look we're at the beach," I eyed her suspiciously and then realized why she was so surprised. "Don't tell me you're afraid of showing some skin?"

"M-maybe," she muttered.

"Ohhhh! You're so cute," I jumped onto her, grabbing her fox ears and playing with them.

"St-stop! That tickles!"

"Hahaha, okay well we're going to have to go buy some swimsuits because they didn't exactly have a store back at the facility so come on!" I said grabbing hold of her hand and tugging her along.

We walked through the vendors that had lined up in a row and entered a nice looking shop full of swimsuits. It took a lot of moans, complaints, lots of trying on and goading Andy before she finally found something she liked. More like something that didn't show any part of her skin. She took an eternity, denying every single suit that the store had. As painful as it was I found it calming. Like this is what normal people did, normal people who weren't experimented on every day. I couldn't hide my smile at times, I didn't want to.

Finally we walked out in our new attire. Well I walked out, I had to drag Andy behind me. I had opted for a black bikini top and bottom, wearing some short shorts. My lovely fox on the other hand had chosen an extremely modest swimsuit that covered all of her body except her limbs.

"Who'd have thought a fox could be so shy. Remind me to never taking you shopping again," I teased her.

"It's embarrassing," Andy muttered.

"You look good Andy," I said, taking her hip with my hand and pulling her close, "Real good. Come on, the beach is waiting."

We found a spot on the beach next to a family and two kids. They stared at us suspiciously and it was obvious why. The both of us didn't exactly look normal, me with my half shaved head and tattoos not to mention the mechanical leg braces I wore. Then Andy had her easily visible faunus ears. Even with the war and everything that was happening public opinion of the faunus was still negative. Still the little kids didn't mind, they waved at us and smiled as I waved back.

I set down my bag and laid out a large towel, plopping down onto it as Andy sat next to me. She still seemed kind of tense.

"Hey Andy, relax!" I told her, "Just enjoy yourself! We're finally at the beach!"

Andy didn't relax and sat next to me holding her legs to her chest. I sighed, pulling her gently by her ear down to me, kissing her on the lips until I literally kissed away her unease.

"There!" I breathed in after such a long kiss, "Better?"

Andy looked like she was tearing up but curled up against my body under the strong sun.

"Better," she agreed as I laid my arm around her.

We laid there for a while next to each other, soaking up the sun and the sounds and the sights of the beach. I teetered on the edge of sleep as I laid there, my eyes fluttering open and closed. Everything felt perfect. I listened to the chatter of the other people on the beach, the soft crash of the waves and surf, the air enter and exit from Andy. Her chest rose and fell against my side as she breathed. It made me blush how close she was and how good it all felt. I wished that we could've met outside of the facility. I wished that this could be our life together. I wished we could live in this illusion forever.

"This is perfect," Andy said softly as if she was reading my mind.

I brought my hand and began petting her head and ears, "I was thinking the same thing."

"Can we stay like this forever?" she asked reading my mind again.

I froze for a moment but forced myself to keep petting Andy. "What do you mean my fox?" I asked but knowing exactly what she meant.

"You know little bird," she said in a far off voice, "Being with each other every day, being there for one another, just being together."

"Of course Andy," I said, struggling to keep a calm and strong voice. Now more than ever my tough guise had to hold, for Andy's sake. I couldn't tell her what I thought inside. I couldn't tell her that I thought that one day, from the experiments or otherwise, one of us wouldn't be there.

Andy snuggled up tighter to me content, "Thank you Skye."

"It's not a problem," I said a little relieved. I brought her hand over my ribs where my paw tattoo was and said, "Remember. Always remember these, okay?"

"Okay," she crawled up and surprised me with a kiss. The kids running off into the surf caught her attention and I heard her say, "Hey Skye, let's go into the water."

I froze up worse than when Andy asked her last question, "O-okay, you go ahead. I'll stay here and watch you."

"Come on little birdie, come with me!"

"No, no I'm fine here. You can go though," I said desperately.

Andy frowned at me, getting up and trying to pull me with her. "I want you to come with me! It wouldn't make sense if I went by myself."

"Andy, my legs aren't water proof. They'd get all messed up in the water you know," I tried again to get Andy to stop.

"No they're not. You told me that they could weather through anything. Skye… Why are you lying to me?" she said, her accusing tone stinging me deeply.

"I'm not lying!"

"Yes you are, I can tell!"

"No I'm not!"

"Why can't you just come into the water with me?!"

"I don't want to, is that a problem!"

"Yes because you're not telling me the truth!"

"Why can't you go by yourself?!"

"Because I want you to come with me! Is it that hard Skye?!"

"YES!" I yelled, "Yes it is!" I shook her hand off mine and turned away from her, holding my legs to my chest.

For a while it was eerily silent. I knew Andy hadn't left and that she was standing right behind me staring. I couldn't bring myself to turn around or say anything to her, I was too mad, too frightened.

"Skye…" Andy said without an ounce of anger in her voice. God how she did that, change her tone so quickly. It was like Andy could turn off her anger like a faucet and put her feelings aside for anyone. "Talk to me."

I balled up tighter, resisting Andy's sweetness, her kindness, everything that I loved her for.

Her arms slid around me and her chin rested on my shoulder as she held me from behind. I felt everything, all of her against my bare back. She whispered into my ear just one thing, one simple thing so lovingly it broke down all my walls. "Skye…"

Squeezing tighter on my legs I whispered into them, "I can't swim."

Andy sounded completely shocked, "Wh-what?"

"I can't swim alright!"

"But," she began, "you said you've been to the beach before."

Against my will my eyes began to tear up, "That was when I could walk by myself. When I was a little kid. I never learned how to swim properly and then I… I…"

"Shhhhhh, shhhhh," Andy hushed me, pulling me closer into her, "I know. I know"

"Please, just go on Andy. I'll wait here and watch."

There was a moment of silence but then Andy said with a strong resolution in her voice, "Skye, take off your legs."

"Wh-what?!"

"Take them off."

"But I won't be able to walk. I don't even have my wheelchair."

"Do you trust me?"

"I…" the question was so sudden that it caught me dumbfounded. The answer was simple though, "Yes. I do."

Sighing I brought my hand over my mouth and pressed down hard as I gritted my teeth. I reached behind and hit the button to detach the braces from me and screamed like many times before as hard as I could. In a second it was over and I collapsed into Andy's embrace, unable to hold myself upright anymore.

I gazed up into her face which was smiling slightly, "Okay fox, what now?"

Andy kept holding me up but somehow pulled me onto her back, wrapping my useless legs around her and holding me up on her back. I yelped as she rose up with me precariously.

"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Andy just giggled mischievously and started walking toward the surf. I saw the water approaching and began to freak out.

"No. No! Andy take me back. Put me down! What if we get swept away? You can't swim for both of us you know!" I said frantically.

"Well then will just be lost together."

I complained the whole way until the water was well past Andy's waist and all around me legs. My arms held on for dear life around Andy.

"See, this isn't too bad," she said.

"Yeah… yeah sure…" I mumbled too concerned with the water that was splashing up to the parts of my body that had feeling.

"Relax little bird, you're safe."

That was it. That was all she had to say. Instantly I relaxed against her back.

"Only because it's you," I whispered into her ear defeated.

She laughed and took us around the surf. Slowly after I got over my fears I began to enjoy myself. This was my dream and I didn't want it to ever end. Andy and I laughed and giggled as we splashed about and let the waves wash over us. She was very careful not to go too far where the waves were stronger and only went as deep as I was comfortable. It was wondrous.

I pecked her where her bird tattoo was on her neck making her freeze momentarily. "Thank you," I said into her ear.

There was a growing chatter behind us though. The peaceful voices turned into shock and confusion and in the distance I could hear the blare of sirens. Andy turned around so we could face the beach. Before I even saw the police cars and the Atlas men and scientists I knew what it was about and who was coming. There were dozens of flashing lights and men dressed in Atlas uniforms questioning people on the road and on the beach, everyone and everything pointing at the two of us. I buried my head into Andy's shoulder. The dream was ending.

"Little birdie, what's going on?" she then saw all the Atlas men beginning to notice us and walk our way. "Skye…" her voice was laced with dreadful suspicion, "The scientist did give us permission, didn't they?"

"It's time to go my fox," was all I said.

* * *

My body ached. From the combat training and extra tests they were administering to me everything hurt. It didn't help that my record of misconduct was fresh in all of the scientists' minds. They had only finished dealing with me adopting Spira and Basher but then I went on our little unapproved vacation to the beach. Needless to say they were done for a while of giving me leeway. The first were the ramped up training schedule and tests. Then they made me leave my leg braces and exoskeleton back at the testing rooms. I was diminished to wheeling myself around in my chair. It was a grim reminder that my legs were a gift that could easily be taken away.

"Good work today Skye," one of the testers told me as I pushed myself towards the door in my chair. "We'll see you again tomorrow."

"Yeah whatever," I moaned, popping more pills into my mouth to subdue the pain of today's experiments.

As I neared the entrance the sliding doors automatically slid apart and revealed an angel waiting in the hallway. Andy stood there with a bundle of brightly colored flowers, wearing an orange dress that complimented her hair and ears.

"Whoa," I uttered shocked by how beautiful she looked. "Andy… You look… stunning."

She blushed madly, "St-stop. It's only a silly dress."

"Yeah and look damn fine, I mean you're beautiful in that," I corrected myself.

"O-oh well thank you."

"What's the occasion?"

"It's a secret, but… here, put this on," she handed me a blindfold.

"Andy?" I said curiously.

"D-don't ask why! Just… put it on!"

"You're so cute when you're nervous you know that," I said giggling, "Okay my dear fox, I'll play along." I put the blindfold against my eyes and doused myself in darkness, fumbling with the knot in the back.

My wheelchair gently picked up speed as I assumed Andy pushed me. It was a little unsettling not to be able to see but I trusted Andy with all that I had so there was a blanket of safety over me.

"So what's with all the mystery?" I asked.

"You'll see," she told me simply.

"Okaaay… so how was your day?"

"Oh you know, the same old things," she avoided my question again.

"Hmph," I grumbled, it was obvious that wasn't going to get anything from interrogating her so I changed tactics. Reaching behind me I guess where Andy was, taking whatever I could and squeezing teasingly. There was a sharp yelp and a jerk of my chair as I found purchase on something quickly followed by a violent tug of my ear. "OW!"

"Watch where you're grabbing Skye!"

"I would if you hadn't given me this blindfold," I chuckled.

"Don't worry you impatient bird, it'll come off soon."

Andy kept pushing me along and soon I heard a door open. She pushed me inside and then stopped, walking around and away from me.

Frightened I reached for the blindfold and called out, "Andy? Andy?! Where'd you go?"

Two hands stopped me from removing the blindfold, making me jump in my chair. "Andy? Is that you?"

"Yes I'm right here. Hold on okay? Just leave it on for a little longer."

"O-okay. You're scaring me though."

I forced my hands to relax on my arm rests and listened intently. Andy's feet, I hoped, pattered around me. Things flicked and clicked and made noises that could've been anything. I tried to call upon some of my training, focusing on using my ears as my eyes but I was still inexperienced.

"A-Andy?" I stammered, the fear truly sinking deep.

Suddenly a pair of lips met mind as two hands caressed my face. I was lost. I fell into an abyss. My mind was wiped blank. My body was filled with euphoria. I knew these lips. I knew that smell. I knew that kiss. It was all Andy.

The lips pulled away from mine, breaking the contact between us. Light flooded my eyes as the blindfold came off and I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the dark room. As the blurry shapes began to sharpen the first thing that I saw was Andy, still dazzling in her orange dress, stepping away from me. Her face looked tepid, unsure, it made me wonder why until everything around us finally was clear. We were in my dorm room but all the lights were out except dozens of candles she had light around the room. Hung all along the walls and the ceilings were a plethora of lights along with what looked like a hand-made banner that said 'Happy Birthday Skye'.

"No… No way," I managed to mutter in disbelief. I had entirely forgotten that it was my birthday today. Years at the facility had made a date like that pointless, my family wasn't allowed here and couldn't celebrate it with me. I accepted that and didn't mind it at all. The thing that got me even more was that I never told Andy when my birthday was. "This is… impossible."

Andy stepped aside revealing a small cake behind her that had all the candles lit, one for each of my years.

"No my lovely bird, it's all real," she said, walking around and wheeling me up to the table.

Spira and Basher sat on the table, each wearing miniature party hats. Spira looked slightly annoyed while Basher kept scratching at his head. His leg was too short to reach all the way though.

I read the icing on my birthday cake. It said, 'Happy Birthday Skye, From Your Fox." Next to that were an imprint of Spira's talon foot and Basher's paw. There was still icing on his front right paw.

Tears of pure joy rolled down my cheeks. "Oh my gods. It's beautiful. It's… It's… How?"

"You have your connections and so do I," was all Andy said grinning, "Hurry, make a wish."

"I don't…" I said thinking of something to wish for, "I don't think I have anything I can wish for. Right now, I don't think I have a single want. Everything… Everyone I could ever wish for is right here."

"Well, you could always wish to walk again."

"I can already walk, and it wouldn't be good for you to know my wish!"

She giggled, "Okay well hurry and make a wish and don't tell me!"

For a moment I stared at all my candles completely clueless. Then I said in my head, _I wish Andy and I could stay together forever._ I took in a huge breath and blew out all the candles in one go.

Andy clapped her hands together gleefully, "I hope whatever you wished for comes true!"

I wiped away the stream of tears from both my cheeks and smiled at her, "Me too."

Spira and Basher chirped and barked respectively as Andy began to cut out slices of cake. She places a plate with one on my lap, digging into the strawberry filling. It was delicious and I assumed that Andy had made it. I only made it a couple bites in when Basher, ignoring the plate she had set out for him, decided to do a belly flop into the cake. The splatter missed Andy completely but Spira got creamed. Pieces of cake and icing also plastered the side of my face.

"BASHER!" I bellowed, enraged that he had ruined Andy's cake. Luckily Spira took care of him, proceeding to carrying him off in her talons and probably do some sort of Grim punishment.

My eyes shot to Andy, thinking that she'd be depressed by the destruction of all her hard work but she was laughing. "Basher is too cute."

I sighed, "Yeah but he's a pain in the butt."

"Here," Andy said, "You have cake all over your face."

"Huh, oh yeah, dumb Basher."

I thought that she was reaching behind her for a towel but instead she grabbed more cake and smashed it into my face. For a second I was utterly astounded but soon became intent on my revenge.

"Oh my foxy Andy you will pay for that dearly!"

She yelped playfully as I chased after her in my chair. It wasn't fair and I couldn't catch up to her. There was too much furniture and she was more maneuverable. Somehow I managed to corner her, leaping out of my chair and tackling her.

"I will have my revenge!" I shouted, holding her down and nuzzling my face into hers.

"No!" she laughed. "No Skye! You're making a mess! Stop! Haha, noooo!"

We wrestled on the floor for a while longer until we were both properly covered in cake and icing before I tried to roll off her. Instead she held me in place, laying on her like a pillow. I didn't mind it, everything was a mess but I was comfortable in her arms.

"Skye."

"Hmmm?" I hummed.

"How did you get us out of the facility?" she asked calmly, stroking my hair.

A pang of alert sounded somewhere far off in my mind but I paid it no attention. With Andy so close and her hand combing across my hair nothing mattered.

"Why do you want to know?" I dreamily asked back.

"I'm just curious."

"Ah, well it's simpler than you think. There's an emergency exit that leads right outside. The guards' rotation leave it unattended for 10 minutes at a time. I tricked the alarm into thinking that the door was still closed and viola, slip outside," I told her, nuzzling into her chest. There was icing all over each of us at this point.

"That simple?"

"That simple."

"You know you're oddly curi-."

"Oh it's time for you present!" she interjected.

"Present?" I asked surprised. I thought that the surprise party was enough but Andy had even went out of her way to get me a present.

She helped me back into my chair and wheeled me into the restroom, telling me to clean myself up and that my present would be ready when I came back out. Dutifully I washed my face of all the sugar and cake, cleaning my shirt off as best I could. I'd just have to change later after Andy gave me whatever she had in store. Throwing the towel back on the rack I wheeled outside to see Andy standing there with bows atop each of her fox ears.

"I… Wha… Andy?" I stammered utterly confused.

"Your present…" she said nervously blushing a mad red, "Is me."

"WHAT?!"

"You can… play with my ears all you want until the morning."

I finally realized why there were bows on each of her fluffy, orange, pointed ears.

"Oh," I said, a grin slowly dawning upon my face.


	5. Chapter 5

"YOU IDIOT! YOU STUPID, STUPID IDIOT! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" I screamed with all I had at Andy. My fists pounded at her chest weakly, unable to muster the strength to hurt someone so close to me. Andy just stood there, dirty and bloody, taking all the punishment I gave her. "YOU USED ME! YOU USED WHAT I TOLD YOU! YOU USED WHAT I TOLD YOU AND YOU LEFT ME!"

It was late and well past midnight. I awoke to screams from a voice I knew all too well, running out into the hall to see the guards dragging a dirty Andy back and throwing her into her room. The dirt, the blood, it all connected immediately and I had to confront Andy about it. That wasn't what broke me. What broke me was that Andy had tried to escape without me.

I sat there in my chair beating at her chest, sobbing and crying with everything I had. My heart felt like it had shattered into a thousand pieces inside me. Each one of those pieces felt razor sharp and burned with all the love I had for Andy which only cut and seared into my flesh more. That barely described the pain, the betrayal I felt.

"My little bird…"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO CALL ME THAT! NOT ANYMORE! I'M NOT YOUR GODDAMN BIRD ANYMORE! I'M NOT YOUR ANYTHING ANYMORE! YOU LEFT ME! YOU RAN AWAY AND LEFT ME HERE!"

Andy's face was pale and her eyes wouldn't leave the ground. I couldn't tell what she was thinking. There was too much rage clouding my thoughts.

"Skye, please listen."

"NO YOU LISTEN! WHAT WAS ALL THIS FOR?! WHY EVEN BOTHER BEING FRIENDS OR WHATEVER THE HELL WE WERE?! WHY THE HELL DID WE EVEN GET THESE STUPID, STUPID, stupid tattoos…" I couldn't yell anymore. The rage had evaporated leaving only the bitter lancing feeling of betrayal.

"Why…" my scratchy voice uttered, "Why did you go without me? Why didn't you take me with you? I cared about you. Didn't you… feel the same? Weren't we supposed to leave here together?"

Andy's eyes flicked up and met mine, striking me where the shards of my heart laid shattered in my chest. They were sad, and guilty, and worried, and begging. That look answered every question I had but it wasn't enough. I couldn't believe, I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't take it anymore.

I tore off my sleeping tank top and dug my nails into the paw tattoo on my ribs. My screams tore through the room like my nails tore through my inked skin. The pain of tearing apart my flesh paled in comparison to the pain of having my heart broken. Again and again and again and again I dragged my nails across that inked paw, tearing away as much of it as I could.

"Skye! No! Stop!" Andy yelled but I didn't hear her over my mirth fueled screams.

Blood started to seep down from my side and trickle to my waist but I didn't care. I could still see too much of the paw on me and I couldn't stand the sight of it. All the time I tore at my flesh I kept screaming, screaming not for my side but for my heart.

Andy tackled me, sending both of us toppling onto the floor. I tried to fight her off and keep scratching at my tattoo but she had gotten stronger. She took hold of my wrist and fought against me on the ground.

"Skye!" she shouted crying, "Stop it! Stop it please!"

"No! No!" I screamed at her, doing everything I could to bloody up my side more.

I managed to shake her off, throwing her to one side and beginning anew at my ribs. She lunged from behind, taking my wrist again and hugging me tight so that they were clamped against my chest. With the way she was holding me from behind I couldn't move no matter how much I tried. Still I fought and fought until I couldn't anymore, shaking in Andy's arms as I sobbed uncontrollably. It was a long while before I noticed that she was crying too, softly in that way it wouldn't inconvenience anyone. Typical Andy, always thinking of others.

Andy hugged me tight, making the glass fragments of my heart burn in agony.

"I'll tell you everything."

* * *

A wet tongue licking my face gently woke me up from my slumber. Groaning I forced one eye open to see a rather docile Basher. He began nuzzling into my face softly, wanting me to get up. Even he had noticed how unattached from the world I had become, being extremely cautious around me. His usually idiocy even seemed more forced.

"Go away Bash," I said pushing him off the bed as I held Spira closer to my chest. She squawked sleepily as well, enjoying the warmth of my body. Her wings were tucked tightly away so her razor sharp feathers wouldn't lacerate my skin.

It had been a week since Andy tried to escape. One long week. We had barely spoke to one another during that time nor spent any time together. I was avoiding her and she wasn't making any attempt to be with me. It was fine. That was a lie, it wasn't fine. It was far from fine. For all these past years we had barely spent any time without each other's company. We did practically everything together. The mornings usually started with her waking me up because she was always more punctual and I was always sleeping in. She'd berate me kindly until I got up, often helping me into my chair when I fell off the bed, forgetting that I didn't have my legs on. We'd brush our teeth, eat breakfast, talk, laugh, and smile throughout the morning until we had to go to our testing rooms. Most days we'd try and meet up for lunch, tired and dirty but enjoying a meal. I would always try to pry out information on what her days were like and she would always avoid my questions or say it was the same old thing. We'd go back to work and then I'd always meet her after we were done, coming back to the rooms and…

Spira clucked as I squeezed her too tight. It was hurting me how much I remembered about being with Andy. Now when I wanted to forget about her most the details seemed most clear.

Silent tears formed and dripped down my eyes. I wish I was in Andy's arms, she'd know just how to comfort me. Yet I wish I never saw her again. Right now every thought of her brought me a façade of happiness and a cloak of despair.

Basher began to pull the blankets off of me from the ground. Wearily I pushed myself into a sitting position, throwing my pillow at the idiot. He yelped as it connected and he was buried under a pile of fluff. Spira got up, stretching her wings in front of my face and making a Grim sounding yawn.

"Okay you idiot, I'm up, I'm up," I said mimicking Spira's yawn. I stretched out my arms like her but fell onto my back, without my legs I couldn't sit upright.

There was a scrapping on the floor as Bash tried to drag my legs over to the bed. He may be an idiot but I had to admit he was a very lovable idiot. Rolling off the bed I crawled the rest of the distance and began my painful ritual, the pain, the screaming, and getting to my feet.

My two pets accompanied through everything. Brushing my teeth, washing my face and my hair. I stopped in front of the mirror, standing there in only my underwear. On my ribs I could make out the inked in paw that stretched over my skin through the scarring flesh. My nails had made lasting impressions though, tattooing permanent scar lines over the paw. It was thankfully healing, everything it stood for however was not. I'm happy and mad that I could still see the paw. It gladdened me that I wasn't able to tear it all away, that Andy's mark was still on me. That was also the problem, her mark was still on me.

I shook my head violently, finishing my morning routine. Skipping breakfast I headed straight for work, already late but I didn't care. Nothing mattered these days. That tone carried throughout my training and my tests. Everything I did failed, all the tests and all the training wasn't working. Actually it wasn't them that wasn't working, it was me. My mind couldn't focus because it was a thousand miles away. That was wrong, it was only a couple hallways away where Andy probably was.

After I was bruised and bloody for the hundredth time after failing to beat a simulation the scientist finally gave up. Basher and Spira came over and helped me onto my feet, being quite strong and capable despite their small size. They were still Grim after all.

"That's enough for today Skye," said the head nut-job, "It's obvious we can't make any further progress."

"No shit," I told him, snatching a towel from and assistant so I could clean myself off.

"Skye, what's wrong?" he asked. That just pissed me off even more.

"Oh," I scoffed, "So now the Atlas scientist cares for my well-being? How cute. Nothing is wrong."

He scowled at me and crossed his arms like all the adults do when they disapprove. I think they thought it made them feel like they looked important or something.

"Skye your combat ability is usually off the charts. That simulation is one we put you through over a year ago. You should've had no problems with it and yet you failed it."

"Oh, you don't say. I guess all the bruises and blood was fake and for show. You know, I like to do that kind of thing when people are watching," I retorted.

He didn't show a sign of guilt or care. They really didn't care about my well-being. All they wanted was results.

"I know," he continued, "because our data shows that physically, minus a minor thing with your side, you're perfectly fine. Mentally though…"

"SHUT UP!" I screamed, "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I don't fucking care what your damn charts and data says. If I say I'm fine then I'm fine. Got it?!"

All he did was grimaced in disapproval and nod. "Well, we're done for the day. You're free to go."

With that I turned on my heel and headed to the locker room, changing out of my sweaty clothes and combat suit into my normal shirt and pants. I walked out the door with no problems which made me stop for a moment. They hadn't bothered to take away my legs from me today. I grinned and jogged a lap through the halls, it felt like I was free once again.

Usually I would be heading over to Andy and meeting up with her before we headed back to our rooms but I didn't bother anymore. I rubbed the shaved side of my head subconsciously, toying with the idea of getting more tattoos. The door to my room appeared faster than usual because of my jog. I leaned against the wall, catching my breath for a moment before going inside.

I went for my door but turning its handle I found it unlocked.

Spira hopped onto my shoulder while I glanced down at Basher, "That's odd." He looked back at me stupidly with his tongue hanging out of his maw. "Well you are too dumb to know." Basher squealed as if offended. "Oh shut it."

I pushed the door open and walked into my room to find utter shock standing at its center. The door swung shut behind me, clicking shut as it closed fully. After that it was pure silence. There in the middle of my room was Andy. She just stood there, saying nothing, doing nothing, looking as normal as a week ago. My first instinct was to run and embrace her but I squashed that urge quickly, filling the space with anger.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

Andy didn't say anything. There was only the soft rise and fall of her chest to let me know she was even alive.

"The door's behind me," I said with a bitter taste in my mouth. I walked around her to my fridge, pulling out a bottle of alcohol and gulping it to cleanse my taste buds.

"You… You shouldn't drink that," Andy said so quietly that it was eerie. It was like she had no power behind her voice, no confidence.

"Yeah?" I scoffed feeling the warmth rising in my cheeks, "Why the hell should I listen to you?"

"It's… bad… for you," Andy mumbled, her sentences becoming more broken.

"Get out," I said, shaky from the alcohol and Andy's weird behavior.

Andy didn't move.

"Did you hear me? I said get out!" I screamed at her.

Andy still didn't move. "Skye… my dear bird… please… help me."

That last bit ticked me off and I stormed over to her, grabbing her shoulder with one hand and intending to push her out the door. Her hand shot up and grasped my wrist with frightening strength as I saw her take a fighting posture. It was so unlike Andy that I was shocked. Then I saw her face…

It was wild. She looked like an actual fox cornered but filled with mirth and intent to rip apart anyone that came near her. Her eyes were wide and full of bloodlust. She bore her fangs in a wide grin. Veins threatened to burst along her forehead and neck.

Sloppily I countered her hold before she could use it, throwing her over my shoulder onto a couch.

"Oh haha," I laughed maniacally, "You want to fight. Then let's!" I didn't mind the fight. Finally someone who I actually could focus on with all my abilities. "It's been long waiting Andy!"

"My name is not Andy," she hissed through gritted teeth. "I am C-ydna!"

All the alarms in my head went off. Instantly I thought of her experiments and how she never talked about what they did to her. Could this be a side-affect?

"Andy? What the hell is going on?"

She lunged at me, taking me to the floor. I brought my leg to my chest so that Andy couldn't topple onto me. It also allowed me to push her off with a kick if need be.

"Andy's not home right now!" she snarled, "It's just me! Hehe, C-ydna here to play!"

Now I was extremely creeped out. It was like someone had implanted a new person into Andy's body. C-ydna stepped back and grabbed hold of my legs, dragging me across the floor. I kicked free and swept Andy or C-ydna's legs out from under her, quickly getting back to my feet. Thank god I had my legs on, this freakish strong thing could've overpowered me in my chair.

The moment I got to my feet fists connected with my face making my vision go white. Reactively I threw my arms in front of my face and regained my vision. A hail storm of punches were striking my arms. God how did Andy get so strong. When the punches wouldn't get through my forearms they switched to my stomach, pain seared through my body when they connected with my healing ribs.

"Oh, a little tender there. Poor thing," Andy said, beginning to aim for my side.

Anger swept me and I lashed out with a round kick, connecting with her thigh. Her leg gave away and I struck her with another kick to the side. All the feelings of betrayal were rising in me and I began to enjoy and relish beating Andy. She tried to punch me again but I closed the distance, blocking her arm with my own. I jumped and kneed her in the stomach causing her to double over. With my right hand I uppercutted her face. Andy backed away, her lip cut and bleeding from my punch.

Laughing she yelled, "That felt good." She glanced at the side of my head where my lark tattoo was and then said, "Is that all you got, bird?"

Enraged a leaped at her, throwing a punch that took her and me to the ground. Quickly I scrambled so I straddle her chest, bringing up my fist to rain punches onto her face. Andy kept her hands at her sides not even attempting to block.

Her laughter grew even more. It unsettled me.

"Ahahahaha, the more you fight, the more you punch and kick me, the more you hurt her!" I could tell now it was the thing called C-ydna talking.

The sad thing was that it was true. I held my fists above my head, staring at the bleeding and slightly bruised face of Andy. This wasn't here speaking, moving, fighting. It was C-ydna controlling her body. The more I fought, the more I injured her and not C-ydna. I couldn't win. I couldn't beat it. There was only one thing I could do.

I relaxed and let my arms drop. C-ydna rolled us over so that she was straddling me and laughed even more, "I knew you couldn't do it!"

Fist after fist began to land on my face. My vision flashed white and then black between shots of the wild Andy smiling. I let my face get beaten again and again and again not bothering to block. To do anything would mean hurting Andy and I couldn't… I couldn't do that. My head was bouncing like a ball between C-ydna's fist and the floor. I couldn't hold on my longer. There was so much pain in my face.

With my last bits of conscious strength I reached up and hugged Andy. I wrestle with her so that we rolled over and I laid on top of her still hugging her with all my strength. Elbows started to impact the top of my head and the side of my face. The lights in my eyes faded to dark and my hearing began to go. The last things I heard before blacking out was her maniacally laughter and blows connecting with my head.

Tears dropping onto my face woke me up. Painfully I forced open my swollen eyes to see an angel crying. Andy was on her knees next to me, her face above mine crying.

"A-andy?" I moaned, my inside aching.

"Skye! Skye! It's me! I'm here!"

"K-k-k-k-ki…" I stammered.

"What?! Skye what are you saying?!" she bent lower so her hear was next to my mouth.

"Kiss me."

It didn't even take a moment but lips smacked into mine with full force.

"Thank god it's you," groaned happily. "You taste wonderful."

Andy smiled not even showing an ounce of regret, "Yes it's me. I'm back. I'm sorry Skye. I'm so, so sorry."

"I've missed you," I said as I began to cry through swollen eyes. "I've missed you a lot."

"You idiot!" she sobbed as she started to cry as well. "After all that, me waking up to see you beaten half to death and that's what you decide to say!"

"No," I groaned, trying to get up but falling back down. Everything hurt too much. "What I wanted to say… Is that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not talking to you. I'm sorry for staying away. I'm sorry for treating you so badly. I'm sorry for…"

"Shh shh shh!" she shrilled, "I know little bird. I know."

"There's one more thing I wanted to say."

"Yes Skye?"

"I love you."

Andy rested over me and embraced me in an agonizing hug, "I love you too."

* * *

Something was dragging me across the floor. There was a human grunt but a Grim growl too. There was slobber going down my collar.

I awoke with a start, flailing around madly while I tried to see who had captured me.

"What's going on?! Where am I?!"

Soft hands held my head and lips swiftly and forcefully met mine.

"Skye, Skye! It's okay! Relax. RELAX!" that was Andy's voice. I could barely see through my swollen eyes. "You blacked out again. We're trying to help you."

"Andy?! Andy?!" I yelled confused. A bark behind me sounded like idiot number one. My hand searched the air for her but it was her that took my hand. I followed her arm to her head where I could feel her soft fox ears. "Why can't I see? Why'd I black out? What's going on?"

"You don't remember Skye?" she asked but then uttered, "Oh no." Hands immediately began combing through my hair and feeling my skull. At one point they pressed and found a soft spot which sent a jolt of pain through me. "Okay, okay. Skye, little bird can you hear me?"

"Yes," I groaned, "Yes my darling fox I can hear."

"We're going to put you onto the couch," she said taking my feet. I felt a wet maw clamp on my collar again accompanied by talons, idiot number 2. "You have a concussion on your head. It's probably what's causing you the slight… memory loss."

"Memory. My love," I said faintly aware that my speech had become strangely more romantic, "how did I get it?"

Skye froze as she laid me onto the couch. "Uh… I did it."

"What do you mean? How could you do this to…" and then images flashed like a slideshow in my head, Andy punching me, her wild face, her voice yelling out a name… "C-ydna…"

"Yes… C-ydna…"

"Andy, what… wha, AHHHH," I cried out as everything pulsed in agony.

"Oh gods hold on Skye," Andy ran off and came back with an ice pack that she placed on my throbbing head. I heard her dip a towel into something and then felt the sting as medicinal alcohol was rubbed into my face.

"Ahhhhhh! Ahhhhhhhh! It hurts."

I tried to flail but my two pet Grim held down each of my arms. They were small but they were strong. Andy's hand pressed into mine and I squeezed it hard. It was soft and warm and I tried to focus on that as much as possible to distract myself from the pain. Cleaning all of my bruises and cuts took a stingingly long time. I probably squeezed Andy's hand off.

"Stop whining so much bird," Andy's voice said.

At that I shot up, her words and tone sparking fear inside me and reminding me of C-ydna. Blindly I scooched back to the far end of the couch farthest away from Andy. I could barely see but I had to defend myself somehow.

"C-ydna?!"

"What, no! Skye it's me Andy. C-ydna is gone," Andy said, looking extremely worried and concerned.

"P-prove it!" I said shakily, wary of a cunning ploy.

Andy slowly inched closer to me making me tenser. I couldn't fight her. There was no way I could without hurting her. There was no way to win, the only option was to let her pummel me again and hope that she, I mean C-ydna, didn't kill me.

Andy took a deep breath and I saw that switch flip in her mind, the one that let her be so kind and caring. Her eyes became soft and her lips tender, her fox ears even perked up and gave me their full attention.

"Your name is Skye Miriage. You were born April 28th… we celebrated your birthday not a few weeks ago," she said.

"Anyone could've found that out that works here!" I shouted.

She jumped a bit but calmed down, I saw her hand inching across the sea of space between us.

"We… we've been her at this facility for years. We have matching bird and paw tattoos that we got together. Oh! Your paw is on your left side on your rib where… you tried to scratch it out. You're… you're not a morning person. I'm always up before you and helping you wake up and get into your chair or your leg braces. You like coffee with cream and five sugars. We walk to our experiments where you drop me off first before you leave for your own tests and you're always at my testing room to pick me up. The first time… haha, the first time you did I was so tired that you carried me back here in your wheelchair. You used your semblance to heal me then like many times after that, even when you thought I wasn't watching. You rub the shaved side of your head where your lark tattoo is as a habit. You drink alcohol when you're not supposed to," she said that one with much disapproval. "You… you always try to make me happy, even if that means getting in trouble, or breaking out, or doing something stupid," she said softly.

I had already believed Andy was Andy halfway through but I didn't want to stop her. She was like me, remembering all the little details about us even getting lost as she listed them out. My body relaxed and I closed the distance and held her hand.

"Is there anything else?"

"Huh, no. Oh wait! Yes! Yes… there is…"

"And?"

She leaned in and kissed me. A kiss never hurt so good. "I love you."

"Mmmmmm," I hummed in bliss, "I love you too." All the strength was sapped from my body and I fell onto Andy's lap.

"Little bird? Skye?!"

"I'm not dead yet if that's what you're wondering," I said into her lap. "I'm just exhausted."

I felt a fluffy, fat thing jump onto my back and a lighter one land on the back of my head. Those idiots.

"Remember when we met you two and how I said I wanted to cook you?" I said.

Basher immediately jumped off me and curled into a ball, rolling away. Spira however just huffed and cawed, calling my bluff.

"I hate you Spira. I'm going to pluck out all of your feathers even if it costs me my fingers!"

"Skye that isn't nice! Look, I have to finish cleaning you up. I, oh," she stopped.

"What is it now?"

"I'm going to have to take off your legs," she said after a moment.

My eyes widened and I twitched. That was a great amount of pain on top of what I already was feeling,

"Do it."

Andy laid me down flat on the couch and moved to my side. She took my hand before saying, "Ready?"

I clenched my teeth and hummed a yes. I didn't think that the pain of disconnecting my legs would overpower everything I already felt in my body but my screams said otherwise. My world went black again.

The world came in and out of focus as I gained consciousness and slipped back into unconsciousness. Reality came a glimpse at a time, a broken up dream that happened to be real. There were arms under my own and a wet snout at my back dragging me. Next second I heard Andy's sweet voices actually cursing then a shrill yelp as I think I fell onto Basher. Then hands were over my body, they were taking off my clothes.

"Heeeeeyy!" I slurred, "Don't you get frisky with me. I have a girl already."

"Skye!" Andy moaned a little offended and flushed, "It's just me. And uh… thank you. Gods you sound like you're drunk."

"Drunk… Andy, alcohol please."

"No. No way."

"Dearest fox… pl-pl-ple…" I blacked out again.

When I came to next I was laying in my bath tub. Naked. Looking down I saw how messed up my body was. Already I had the scars healing over my ribs, then there were bruises that painted my skin, cuts over my knuckles, I was a wreck. The water was pinkish around me from the blood and so were the towels that were draped over the tub's edge. Andy was sitting next to me, her head drooping slowly. She was half asleep.

"Oh Andy," I teased weakily, "I didn't know you were into stuff like undressing me."

The sleepy fox shot awake and scowled at me with bags under her eyes. "I-I couldn't get clean you up without taking off your clothes. I uh, closed my eyes."

"So, did you like what you felt while I was unconscious?"

"Skye! No! I mean yes! Wait no!"

I pulled her in close with a wet hand so I could ruffle her ears, "How could I ever be mad at you?"

Andy I think purred, leaning in closer which made a large bottle she had clink against the tub. We both looked down and stared at the liquor she had in her hands. Immediately she sat up out of my reach and stared me down seriously.

"Is that…"

"Skye… Listen, I know you're in pain and it hurts."

Suddenly I felt extremely voracious, extremely needy, and very much addicted. "Give it to me."

"Birdie, this isn't a good idea."

"I said give it to me," I growled.

"Skye," Andy's eyes began to water, "Only this once."

Reluctantly she handed the bottle over. I popped the cap and chugged half of it down. The pain eased away, numbed by the poison I poured down my throat. My insides burned with pleasure but my agony was only replaced by a different sort. It was the kind that the alcohol made me remember more than it made me feel.

"Okay that's enough," she said, taking the bottle out of my hand. With an extreme amount of effort she pulled me out of the tub and into a chair, drying me off and beginning to wrap my wounds in bandages. I could tell that giving me alcohol was killing her morally.

"Andy, fox, it's okay. I don't hate you," I said mindlessly.

"I know Skye, I know."

She picked me up with a grunt and moved me to my wheelchair, proceeding to dress me in my sleeping clothes. It did feel pretty late.

"Did I ever tell you why I can't walk?" I said, reliving the event in my head.

Andy's voice became extremely stressed and she began to fumble with my clothes. "No Skye, you never did."

She had finished dressing me and was carting me to the bed.

"I was really little, back in my home. It was small, nothing like the city but it was nice," I continued on as pictures of my road, my house and family flashed through my mind.

Andy got me to the bed and lifted me out of the chair, laying me down on my side. She clambered on and laid in front of me, taking my hands.

"There wasn't anything wrong. No crime, no violence, everything was calm and peaceful," I said gazing into her eyes. "Then, one day, an alarm sounded. It was one I hadn't heard before. Everyone started to scream and run. It was terrible. I was so small back then that I got swept away by all the adults."

My hands were beginning to be squeezed very tightly. I took one hand and began petting Andy's ear.

"I didn't know what was going on but I was separated from my parents. I was alone in the middle of town, walking around aimlessly. Then I came face to face with what the alarms were all about. In the middle of the street was a Grim," I paused hearing Basher and Spira, who had come to lay on the bed with us, moan their worries. "No, no, it wasn't a Grim like you two. It was tall and big, its muscles swelling under its hide. I think it was a Gorilla from how it walked, how it tore people apart with its hands and smashed them with its fists."

Andy let out a muffled squeak, covering her mouth with her hand.

I gave her a good scratch behind the ears, "As I watched it smash and mutilate another person I found that I couldn't move, I was frozen in my spot with terror. Then it came for me. The Atlas soldiers came just in time though, getting its attention by shooting over my head. So, the gorilla like Grim charge them, not before flinging me out of its path with its giant hand. I remember… flying… just sailing through the air like a bird. It was odd but I felt weightless, free. My tiny body slammed into a building and I got knocked unconscious. I woke up days later in the hospital. The doctors apologized, my parents were in tears. They told me that I'd never walk again, that my back was broken beyond repair. And that's how I lost the ability to walk."

Andy's arms pulled me close to her chest, my face nuzzling into her. She smelt clean, she must've cleaned herself while I was passed out.

"Skye, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry," she managed to say through her tears.

"Don't be sorry my lovely fox," I said, shocking her beyond belief. My drunk self was always so open, so much rawer with my feelings. "I'm happy that grim took away my legs. If it didn't, I wouldn't be here with you."

I think I was a little to blunt because Andy was crying madly now. This was the first time I ever told her the story of my accident. It was because of the alcohol, the fight, our time apart that I felt like opening up.

"Go to sleep," I whispered to her. "You need the rest."

"Skye, I," she began but I cut her off.

"Shhhhhhhh, tell me in the morning, sleep."

She nodded, kissing me on my head, then my nose and then my lips. Finally she pressed a hand to my paw tattoo and kissed the side of my head where my lark was.

"I won't ever leave you again, my little bird."

"I know."

It didn't take long for my fox to curl up and fall asleep. She was beaten, figuratively and physically, tired from taking care of me. Still, it was good to have her back. It was good to finally be with the one person in the world that I loved and would die for, even if it meant breaking my promises to her. That would be tested tonight.

Gently I brought her closer to me so that she was nestle in the protective cove of my body. She had cleaned herself up as best she could and tended to her injuries but I could tell by the way she moved all night that her body was in pain. Andy had cared for me like she always did, putting me above her own well-being. Now it was my turn.

My whole body began to glow white and burn with heat. That energy I began to focus on, kneading and molding it into a more refine tool that I began to transfer into Andy. I knew what I was doing might kill me. Andy was in really bad shape and I was a little worse with hardly any strength left in me. Healing her would work either way but the question was would I survive it.

I shut my eyes and focused all of my being into fixing every cut, scrape, bruise, and broken bone in Andy. When I was done I couldn't move. Breathing was deathly hard to do. Keeping my eyes open was like trying to fight an avalanche. Andy though was completely healed.

I don't know how but I leaned in and kissed her on the lips before darkness took me.

* * *

Andy was completely fine when she woke up. I however was far from it. Turns out I didn't wake up for three days. Andy had to bring in the scientist and doctors to make sure I was alright and also show them why I couldn't show up for my tests. After that I was bed ridden for almost a week, regaining my strength. I would've healed myself and been fine in a day but Andy didn't let me. She never left my side, making sure I didn't use my semblance and wet my lips with alcohol. She also didn't let me live any of this down. Her thanks and gratitude was interspersed with a landslide of complaints, disapproval, and the constant reminder of what I should have done. It was fun to tease her caring side with this one, she would begin to stutter and switch back and forth between both personas.

Finally I received a clean bill of health from the doctors and Andy's blessing to get up and walk around. First thing I did was assault her with hugs and played with her ears until I turned her into a fox, squirming on the floor and asking to be petted more. Ah it was perfect… Until I started gnawing on her ears at which point she swiftly took them away from me. I was like a little kid reaching for candy and crying in the store.

The days eased back into what we called normal. There was still a lot of apologizing and feeling out to do. Even in as short a time as a week tons had happened and there were pages upon pages of thoughts and events that we had to tell one another. We had plenty of time to do that though.

One day was a bit odd. I rolled up to Andy's testing rooms and found her pacing around the hall. She was talking to herself but legitimately sounded like two different people. There was her voice and then when she spoke back to herself there was another more wild and masculine sounding one. I asked her about it but she shrugged me off saying it was nothing, that she just had things on her mind.

A few days later I went to pick Andy up like usual but her scientists told me that she already had left. It was weird but I was sure she had an important reason. Walking back to my room I began humming a song I heard one of the assistants singing. I didn't know all of it but what I knew sounded nice. I began to think of Andy and if there was something I could do to repay her for taking care of me suddenly really wishing she had a tail. As I entered my room I thought it'd be marvelous if I could ask her scientist to give her a tail for me to play with.

My day dreams abruptly ceased when I heard a familiar laugh off to my side. I went on full alert to late as a body tackled me to the floor.

"He he he! Hello bird! I'm back to play!" C-ydna's voice came out of Andy's mouth.

"C-ydna?! What did you do to Andy?!" immediately I went to block my face, trying to gain control of Andy's wrists. "Andy! ANDY!" I screamed struggling with the overpowering C-ydna. I might have been able to beat C-ydna but that wouldn't happen without causing Andy major damage. "Wake up!" I cried desperately, fearing another beating, "Please Andy wake up!"

"Andy's not here right now, please leave a message to be torn up and forgotten!" C-ydna sneered.

Terror filled me like I was trapped in a glass box with water quickly filling it. It surrounded me, immersed me in it, and began to choke me as it drained into my lungs. There was only one choice.

I forcefully relaxed my hands so they rested on the floor. "Please, just make it quick."

C-ydna put Andy's hands on either side of my head as she straddled me and leaned sickeningly close. "Ahahahahaha," C-ydna laughed evilly, "I knew you'd give in! You would never hurt this pretty little love of yours!"

"SHUT UP!" I spat, "Just beat me up already! Do it!"

C-ydna put Andy's lips right next to my ear, "Oh I will if you ever hurt her. Oh I promise you I will, but today is not the day."

Andy's hand slipped down my side and onto my hip making me shutter in disgust. C-ydna was using Andy's body, HER BODY to do such sickening things to me. I wanted to lash out so badly but I couldn't. The way it touched me was reserved for one person and that was Andy. It made me turn into the little girl I was inside, tears streaming down my face. The hand slid around my waist and to my back, making me realize all too late what C-ydna was going for.

"NO! DON'T!" but the rest of my words were drowned in my screams as she hit the button to disconnect my leg braces. Now I was truly helpless and at C-ydna's mercy. "Gods just do it," I uttered defeated.

C-ydna's laugh rang out like footsteps walking on shards of glass. It picked me up and set me down in my wheelchair, taking my unresisting arms and tying the behind it. Then she restrained my body by tying it to the chair so I couldn't slip or get out. I was utterly helpless, defenseless, a nice fleshing punching bag ready for torture.

"GODDAMNIT C-YDNA HIT ME ALREADY!"

C-ydna laughed maniacally again, wheeling me in front of the desk and mirror on the edge of my room.

"Not today bird. I told you, some other time. Andy, she's all yours. Don't even see why you would want her. She's so weak."

C-ydna closed her eyes and her arms relaxed at her sides. Then I saw Andy refill her body.

"She's as weak as I am and I love her for all her faults," Andy whispered to herself. Then she looked up and saw me tied up and shrieked. "Oh my little bird I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

"Andy? You're back! What's going on? Let me out of this!"

Andy straightened, "I can't."

"WHAT?! Andy, C-ydna is gone right?!"

"Yes, she's gone but I asked him to help me restrain you. I just didn't know he'd go this far," she said guiltily.

"Wait, he?!"

"Yeah, C-ydna is a guy, I think. But I asked him to do this to you."

I felt extremely hurt, "Why?"

"This is why," Andy went over and opened a drawer, taking out a full make-up kit and placing it on the desk in front of me.

"Is that… No… Andy no!" I said, feeling better that I wasn't going to get pummeled but fearing that make-up box. "Andy I don't wear make-up!"

"I knew you'd say that. I also knew that you wouldn't want to do this so that's why I asked C-ydna to help," she said, now grinning as she opened the box and began laying out an assortment of make-up. I think now I would've actually preferred the torture.

"I think… I think I want C-ydna back so he, or she, or whatever _it_ is can beat me up," I said squirming in my chair and trying to rock it away.

Andy took hold of its handles and locked both my wheels.

"Oh, so you missed me bird?" Andy's voice dropped. She saw the terror in my face and smiled, "Just kidding."

"Y-you know," I began as she studied my face and perused the powders and creams she had lined on the desk, "You could've just asked and I would've come willingly."

"Don't lie my lovely bird."

With that my torture session began. Andy giggled, actually giggled as she began painting my face. There was creams, and powders, and brushes, it was torture! I shut my eyes.

"This is cruel! This is crueler than when you don't let me play with your ears!" I complained as more brushes went over my eyes.

"No it isn't. This is actually quite fun!" Andy said cheerily.

"Basher, Spira! I'll, I'll let you sleep on the bed! I'll let you eat all you want! I'll give you guys baths and anything! Just get me out of this!" I pleaded with my pets. Spira landed on my head and Basher cuddled Andy's leg. "You idiots," I cried.

"Don't cry you'll mess up my work! And I'm already one step ahead of you, I've already bribed Basher. Spira didn't need any convincing."

"You traitors I saved you!" Basher just keep growling sweetly against Andy's leg and Spira began singing some dark Grim song. "I want my alcohol," I said pointlessly.

With that Andy dropped her torture tools, holding me by the shoulders. She stared straight into my eyes, disapproving but consoling at the same time. Her lips lightly pecked mine. "You won't need it after tonight. If you're lucky maybe I'll give you some. But remember, you chose the ears over the bottle. Is that right?"

I looked away mumbling incoherently under my breath. Andy's lips were so soft and tender and so was her truth.

"What was that?"

"Mmrmmmyesmmm," I murmured.

"What little bird?"

"Yessssss," I hissed.

"Good," she kissed me again. "Don't make me start taking away kisses too."

"Y-you wouldn't… Evil."

"Hmpf," Andy took her evil devices and started again on my face.

"I know you like them as much as me. You couldn't take them away. You'd just kiss me again," I teased her still annoyed.

"Wh-what? N-no," she tried to conceal her nervous guiltiness. "Hm-hmpf!"

It took a little while longer but finally the torture stopped. I had shut my eyes a while ago.

"Skye, open your eyes."

"No."

"Skye please open your eyes."

"Nope."

"Open them."

"Not doing it."

"Do I have to get C-ydna back out?"

"Yes."

"Really?'

"Yeah. She, he, it would ruin all your work though."

"Skye…"

"Still no."

Andy kissed me.

"Mmmmmm. Mmm-mm, n-no," that one was real hard to deny.

"I'll tickle you."

"Had worse."

"Ears."

"I… uh…"

"Ears," she said again.

"N-n-n-n-n-n-n…"

"You know you want them."

"I… You… That…" the word no wouldn't come out of my mouth.

"Nice, orangy, furry, pointy, foxy, ears." To top it off I felt those fluffy tips of joy flick against my eyes and then rub against my mouth. Gods I wanted to bite them. So I did and was rewarded with a sharp yelp.

"Fine!"

"What was that?"

"I said okay!"

Pulling back my eyelids I was astonished at the girl looking back at me in the mirror. It was a girl, a very girly me. Her hair had been curled, her face had been redone. There was surprisingly a little amount of make-up on her face but just enough so that her features were accentuated. A little eyeliner here, blush there, and a dash of eye shadow and there that girl was. I was speechless.

"Do you… like it?" Andy asked.

"Yes," I whispered in awe.

She hugged me from behind, me still tied up, pecking my cheek, "Thank you for cooperating."

I tense the ropes holding me down, "Didn't have much choice."

"This next part is also going take your cooperation too," she told me.

"What do you mean?"

She disappeared and then reappeared a few moments holding it in her hands.

"Oh… OOOooooooohhh no. No way fox."


	6. Chapter 6

For the bijilionth time I adjusted the straps of the black cocktail dress that Andy blackmailed me into. It took a lot of coaxing, a lot of Andy threatening me, and a lot of her wrestling with the top half of my body to get me to wiggle myself into this thing.

"I hate you," I said pulling the ruffled and poufy skirt down. Its black waves stop at my lower thighs, clearly showing the slim mechanical braces clamped on each one of my legs. "I really, really hate you."

"You don't… like it?" Andy asked. She quickly turned away so I couldn't see her face but I clearly heard her sobs and the beginning of tears.

"Andy, no I didn't mean it like that! I didn't know this meant that much to you. I think… I think it looks kind of nice," I said quickly.

She turned back to show a clear face void of tears. She had been faking. "Really? Told you," she looped her arm in mine.

"Y-yeah, but I don't think I look as good as you though," I scratched her ear. Andy had donned a slim-fitting purple dress that stretched to her thighs. It contrasted and complemented her orange hair and ears. She was spectacular compared to me.

"Thank you Skye."

"Geez you wear that easily but getting you into a swimsuit was a monumental chore. At least you let me wear normal shoes," I said wiggling my toes.

"If you wore heals then you'd be way taller than me!"

"Easier access to these," I said, chomping on one of her ears.

"Ow, ow, ow! Don't bite!" she wailed making me laugh hysterically.

Andy escorting me out of my room. In the hall though two armed Atlas guards stood waiting for us. Immediately I grabbed her and pushed her behind me, readying to fight… in this prison of an outfit.

"No, no, no! It's not what you think!" she warned as she grabbed my hands. "They're here to escort us."

"Escort us? Where?"

"To town," one of them said in a deep voice.

"I wasn't asking you!" I shouted angrily. The staff and I weren't exactly on good terms, especially the guards and soldiers.

"Yes Skye," Andy said, "Come on." She tugged me along and explained as we walked. "I got them to let us go out, and I mean properly got their permission. We are going on a date."

"A d-date?!"

"Oh don't tell me after all these years that makes you nervous," she teased.

"No," I said defensively, "A date doesn't really, exactly uh bother me too much. Being seen in this dress though uhm… kind of does." I glanced back over my shoulder to see the two guards following us.

"So you can wear a bikini in full view of the public but not a pretty dress? You're silly."

"I'll remind you that you tied me up to paint my face and then forced me into this thing. Not exactly naturally for me. Are these two apes going to be following us the whole time?" I said still glancing at them.

"Yes," she sighed, "it was the condition for letting us out."

We exited the facility through its main doors. For once it wasn't sneakily or us escaping to do something mischievous without the scientists knowing. Outside was a simple, nondescript car waiting for us. I knew though it hid armor within its doors, not to protect us but to protect the facilities investment in us.

"Well," I said with renewed vigor, "Might as well enjoy the night we've been given."

"That's the spirit Skye! And to start," she got on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on my lips. "I've got plenty planned for tonight."

She opened the door and was about to step in when I caught her by her fox ear, holding her back.

"Owowowowowow! Skye, let go, that hurts!" she whined.

"One condition for me," I said into that ear of hers.

"Okayokayokay!"

"No. Pictures."

Andy gasped.

"I knew it!" I exclaimed.

"B-b-b-b-b-b-but," she began but I tugged on her ear gently.

"Nope. If you do, I'll rip off this dress and walk around in my underwear," I proclaimed, making one of the guards behind me snicker. I kicked backwards, landing a strike right in his family jewels making him collapse onto the ground. "And you two, don't think I can't beat you up."

The guard on the ground moaned in agony and the other had become visibly shaken. "O-kay," he mumbled.

"What?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Better. So Andy, do you accept my terms or do you want your date to be naked?" I asked her.

"Yesyesyes!" she barked like the cute fox she was. I let go of her ear as she rubbed it. It flicked back and forth adorably.

"Alrighty then," I said, stepping past her into the car.

We took a lengthy drive to get into town. Town was an understatement, Andy had somehow managed to get us two tickets into the city, downtown where it was bustling. The whole ride she laid against me and I toyed with her ears. Our faces were glued at the windows, seeing the world around us for the first time. We were used to hallways, rooms, walls, everything that was inside the facility.

There were street lights and neon signs, people dressed up like us, and buildings that reached for the skies. Cars and trucks did a dangerous ballet on the roads. Shops were closing and other places were opening. It was like another world. It was another world.

The car stopped in front of a tall building, Andy getting out and pulling me with her. Now people were staring.

"Andy?" I said nervously.

"Hmm?"

"They're staring."

"Well of course. You look dazzling," she said, strutting onto the sidewalk to the entrance. Our two guard escorts trailed behind.

"I look weird. They can all see my leg braces with how short this damn skirt is," I moaned.

"Relax," she told me as we entered the building.

I tried but I felt like I was walking into a warzone with all the eyes that glanced at us. We strolled through the lobby of the massive hotel. People were all dressed up in fancy clothes, waiting at the desk for rooms, sitting and conversing, or doing whatever was on their agenda. Andy took us straight to the elevator which walls were complete glass. As we rose higher and higher both of us awed at the growing view. The higher we went the more of the city we could see with all its sparking and dazzling lights. We got so high that I could see over the neighboring buildings. Twilight had traced the horizon in the distance, the moon high in the sky tonight.

Finally the elevator stopped on the top floor and we walked into a grand restaurant. There were tall windows that allowed you to see in every direction, a large dance with a live piano player, a bar stocked with all sorts of bottles, and tables everywhere I could see.

"Ah, Ms. Skye and Ms. Andy I assume," a host came up to us.

"Yes, that's us," Andy said cheerily.

The host eyed the guards behind us nervously but continued on cooling. "We received your reservation and are delighted to have you stunning ladies tonight."

At 'stunning' I scoffed, fiddling more with the skirt of my dress.

"We have your table set and hope to make your night unforgettable," he finished.

"Thank you very much," Andy replied suddenly sounding very regal and high class.

He led us to our table at the edge of the restaurant, right next to one of its windows.

"When did you begin to be so proper?" I whispered to her teasingly.

"When you began to look so lady-like," she teased back.

We both giggled quietly causing our host to glance back at us. He sat us down, pulling out the chairs for us and lighting the candles that stood on the table.

"And what would you ladies like to drink?" he asked clasping his hands together.

"Wat-," I began but Andy quickly said, "Wine, please."

"Excellent choice!" he said walking away.

My jaw dropped as I stared in disbelief at Andy. She despised alcohol. She despised that I drank alcohol. She just ordered alcohol for the both of us.

"What?" she asked, noticing the expression on my face that the make-up couldn't hide.

"You hate alcohol."

"I don't hate alcohol. I just choose not to drink it. I hate how you drink alcohol all the time," she corrected me. "And this is a treat, just this once!"

Our host returned with a bottle, pouring each of us a glass of red colored liquid. He showed us how to properly drink it, sipping instead of gulping. I had to admit that the wine tasted like the stars. It was the same with the plates of food he brought, the champagne after that, the desert, everything was magical.

With the alcohol slowly filling us along with the food Andy and I felt wonderful. We talked about everything, anything. We giggled and laughed between every sentence. We kissed, then kissed again and held hands when we didn't. Then to my dismay I got up and asked her to dance and then we danced. We danced until our feet hurt and until the music filled us. We left, our host informing us that our check had already been paid for, and walked. There wasn't any place we had in mind, we just walked. We walked by street vendors and extravagant performers, through a park and monuments, past flashing signs and blinking lights. We walked until we were out of things to say, only holding on to one another and find pure bliss in each other's silent company.

"Ladies," one of our escorts said, getting our attention. "It's time to leave."

"Awwwwwwww," whined Andy, disappointedly tipsy from all the wine. "But the moon is still up," she slurred.

"Now, now my lovely fox," I slurred as well, "Our night had to end sometime."

She complained the whole way back to the car but she was drunk and easy to handle. It was actually extremely cute. I ruffled her ears as we sat down in the back seat making her purr happily. She nuzzled into my side, quickly passing out. The whole ride back I petted her and watch her breathe against my chest.

"I love you," I whispered to her.

We arrived back at the facility and I carried her in my arms back inside. The guards left us then going to do whatever it is they did. I walked her back to the room, laying her on the bed clumsily fighting against the effects of the wine.

"Crap," I mumbled, staring at her curled up on my bed. I needed to undress Andy and that was a problem. "Please don't wake up, please don't wake up," I mumbled as I did the task at hand.

Once I was done I pulled the blankets over her, giving her a kiss on the head before I left the room. I went to the bathroom, stripping off the dress and hanging it nicely. As much as I hated getting into it I had grown fond of it. The memories tonight were partly because of it and staring at it gave me joy. I washed the bits of make-up from my face and then reached into my pocket and pulled out what I had been hiding all night.

I searched all my drawers and my cabinets, raiding them for what I knew was somewhere around. Finally I found it tucked away in the back drawer of a dresser. Carefully I slid the picture into the frame and held it to examine.

In the frame was Andy and I, all dressed up. I was holding her by the hip with one hand against me, she had her arm around my waist. We stood with one another on a balcony, the moon and skyline alive behind us. We weren't focused on that though because the camera had clicked right when we kissed, our lips touching, our eyes closed, our hands interlocked. It was beautiful, even though it broke the promise I made Andy make.

I took the picture frame back into my bedroom where Andy was still fast asleep, setting it on the nightstand beside my bed. Climbing into bed I slid under the blankets, wrapping myself around Andy, careful not to wake her up.

Oh so lightly I kissed her on the lips, causing her to stir ever so lightly.

"My dearest fox, I love you," I reached up and gently bit one of her fox ears.

A hand came out of nowhere and slapped my face. I was stunned.

Andy mumbled not even awake, "No biting…"

* * *

Something fluffy flicked against my face. Twitching I tried to go back to sleep. Those things kept prickling my nose, forcing me to open my eyes. As soon as my eyes adjusted I saw two mountains of orange fur filling my vision. They looked like fox ears and that didn't make any sense because they were attached to a human head. I tried to move my hands to get up but found them trapped, wrapped around a girl in front of me.

"Andy," I hummed, slowly grasping reality.

It was one of those rare morning that we could sleep in. In contrast, it wasn't so rare that Andy or myself woke up in each other's' arms. After the day's work was over we usually always came back with one another. We'd get cleaned up, eat, relax or do whatever but it was always in the same dorm room. So it wasn't a surprise when we both started to sleep in the same bed. Both of us were usually in so much pain or so worn out from the day that we simply collapsed onto the bed. I almost thought it was silly each of us having our own rooms now.

Andy's ears flicked cutely as I blew air at them. She was sound asleep but they reacted subconsciously giving me another way to play with them. I had to stop myself before I went any further less I woke her from her slumber.

As a result from sharing the same bed with Andy so much I had learned to sneak away without waking her up. Getting my arm out from under her was easy. The hard part was rolling off the bed without making a peep. I grit my teeth and grunted against my closed lips as I hit the floor. There was a rustle from the bed as Andy moved about but after a moment it was quiet except for her steady breathing. Crawling on my belly I labored my way up and into my chair. Putting on my legs would have made things easier but even after years of experiencing that pain nothing could silence my screams.

The morning was silent, peaceful, hell it was almost afternoon. Most of the staff and workers at the facility had left for some holiday. Unlucky for us, we had to stay here. Glancing back at my lovely fox curled up under the blankets I mumbled, "It's not too bad."

I went out to get some coffee or tea started but stopped myself outside. The long wall behind the couch which was barren when I first got here was now covered in picture frames. On Andy's birthday I had got her a camera for her gift since she was so delighted with how our date photo turned out. That photo was still bedside and on this wall too accompanied by many, many more. There were plenty of us together, eating, sitting, and doing normal things outside and in the facility. For obvious reasons we had more photos that we taken inside. Much to Andy's horror there were plenty embarrassing photos of her on here too from when I stole her camera to use. I managed to snap her at her cutest times, stuffing her face, chasing me, curled up asleep on the couch like a fox, carrying her in my arms or my chair. This had become a real joy for both of us, decorating this wall with our memories.

Reaching into the side pocket of my chair I pulled out another photo to add to our wall. I tacked it to the wall carefully and leaned back to admire it. While Andy was asleep one morning I managed to tie bows to each of her ears, the same way she did on my birthday a while back. The flash from her camera woke her up and once she had found out what I had done she chased me around the room, took her ears away from me for the rest of the day, and literally put me on a time out. I sat snickering in the corner until Andy came over and faked a C-ydna voice. It literally scared me to death.

"Little birdie," a voice like that one said behind me as two hands rested onto my shoulder. I froze in shock. "I thought…" Andy said bringing her mouth closer to my ear, "that we both had to agree on a photo before we put it on our wall…"

"A-a-andy?" I stammered, "When did you wake up?"

"Don't change the subject," her voice dropped almost like C-ydna.

"C-c-ydna?!"

"Maybe… Maybe not… I'm glad you're in your chair this morning."

"Andy, listen…"

Hands slid down over my shoulder and then onto my sides making me shiver. I still couldn't tell if I was dealing with Andy or C-ydna.

"I guess I have to punish you again."

"Andy… C-ydna…. Please no," I begged.

"ATTACK!" she bellowed beginning to tickle me.

Squirming in my chair I couldn't control myself. "A-andy! Noo! Stop! Stop it!" Despite my begging Andy didn't stop.

Somehow I reached up and grabbed her, pulling her down toward me. My chair rocked back and we fell to the floor. Andy didn't give up though and stayed over me torturing me. I grabbed her head and filled my mouth with her ear and bit down.

"OW!" she bellowed but kept tickling me. "Stop that Skye! It hurts!"

Still chewing on that fluffy piece of heaven I mumbled, "Mmmyyyooo Mfffffuuurst!"

We laid there torturing each other until we both couldn't take it anymore, relenting to lay with each other breathing heavily. My sides were red and raw from Andy's tickling and her ear was covered in my drool.

"My ear," Andy whined, rubbing her ears as they twitched.

"My sides," I shot back. "That was fun, haha," I said scratching her ears gently.

"Yeah it was. Still hurt," Andy moaned as she massaged my sides in return. "Just you wait, I'll get an embarrassing picture of you to put on the wall."

"Can't wait fox. Now uhm…"

"What is it?"

"Uh… I need to get up… and you're laying on me."

"Oh! I'm sorry!" she said, pulling me up and helping me into my chair. "Do you want me to get your legs?"

"No," I said cringing, "I don't want to deal with the pain this morning. Maybe later."

I sat staring at her and the wall behind her. She followed my gaze to all the pictures. "We've sure done a lot," I said softly.

"Yes, we sure have," she replied.

"We're running out of room on the wall."

"You're right."

"And we have so much more to put on there."

Both of us hummed silently, thinking the same thought at the back of our minds. It was something we never wanted to admit, something we always ignored and yet something we both accepted.

Andy hugged me from behind, resting her chin on my head. "So what do you want to do today?" she asked.

"Well first," I said rolling myself around so I faced Andy.

Her curious face soon was wiped away when I pushed myself off my chair at her, grabbing onto her sleeping pants and pulling them to the floor.

"SKYE!" she screamed in a high pitched voice.

"RUN!" I yelled, then I thought again, "CRAWL!"

I managed to crawl far enough that when Andy tried to come after me she tripped over her pants that were around her ankles. Bursting out laughing I kept crawling away for the bedroom since it was the closest door. Pulling up her pants she chased after me wailing. I got to the foot of my bed and picked up a limp, sleeping Basher. Forcing him into a lazily ball, which didn't work at all because his limps stuck out in every direction, I threw him at Andy. Mid-flight he woke up and screamed in terror before latching onto Andy's face.

"Skye! No throwing the pet Grim!"

"You're not my real mom!" I yelled giggling.

Spira was sitting curled up with her wing underneath her wing. I picked her up and flung her too. Unlike Basher she clucked and woke up midair, flapping her wings and hovering in place. She cocked her head around and then saw me red-handed.

"Spira…" Andy hummed, finally peeling the frightened Basher off her face, "If you please."

A shrill deathly grim caw cut through the air as the mini Nevermore assault me. Wings, feet, and a beak tore at my face. I knew she was taking it easy on me though because her talons were retracted into her feet.

"Andy! Andy help!"

"Sorry, Andy is not here right now. She politely got the hell out," C-ydna said. "You get the lovely C-ydna to watch over your torture session."

That fear I kept tightly locked deep within me burst out. I rolled onto my belly and made a break for my leg braces. A body collapsed on top of me and wrapped their arms around my torso.

"It's me! It's me! Sorry, didn't mean to let him out."

The waterfall of dark things slowed and stopped as I relaxed in Andy's arms. "Don't scare me like that. You know I don't like him."

"Oh is that a fact?"

I yelped, curling up as much as I could.

"Kidding! Kidding my sweet little frightened bird," she told me as she nuzzled into my neck. Those furry ears tickling me.

"That's n-not f-funny. I'm completely helpless against him you know."

"I know and I'd never let him harm you," she kissed my ear. "Now let's get you up."

"To my legs please," I told her.

Andy slid an arm around my back and another under my legs, cradling me against her chest.

"So…" I said grinning, reaching a hand around Andy. "Growing a tail yet?" I asked as I took a handful of her bum and squeezed.

Andy's legs buckled but we were close enough that I caught myself on the waist clamps of my leg braces.

"S-s-s-s-skye! H-h-how many times do I have to tell you?! I don't have a tail!" she wailed, sitting on the floor and holding her backside.

"Ahahahaha, I always have to chec-," but I couldn't finish my sentence as it was drowned in my scream. Nothing would ever make me get used to the agony of putting on my legs. Andy was there in an instant to hold me until the pain passed. "Thank you Andy," I said as she helped me to my feet.

We began our daily routine, chatting cheerily as we begun making breakfast and laid out our table. When all was done we sat and ate, silence overtaking the room. Andy had negotiated with the staff and got us daily newspapers. She took to reading them more than I did. I cared only about the cartoon section when I did decide to read it or skimmed the front page.

I was sipping on the coffee that Andy had made for me, sitting across the table and staring at her. She tried not to notice me but her fox ears flicked and twitched nervously. They would turn to the side as if hearing a noise but immediately shoot back forward. Even then those orange points drooped lower than they normally would.

"Skye?" she said over the very top edge of the newspaper.

"Hmmm?" I hummed still staring.

"You're staring."

"I know."

"Is there something wrong? Is there something on my face?"

"No."

"Then is there something wrong?"

"Yes."

"What is it?" she asked shrilly, her ears pressing flat against her noggin.

"What's wrong you mean?"

"Yeah."

"You're just pretty… and cute… That's what's wrong."

Andy seized up even more embarrassed now, hiding behind the newspaper now.

"I can still see you ya know," when she pulled the newspaper closer to her I laughed. "Anything good in the news?"

"O-o-oh… nothing much. Grim attacks are down, faunus activists are getting violent," she said that bitterly, "they elected a new mayor in some town, and Beacon is holding another festival again."

I stood up and leaned over the table, pulling down the top of the newspaper and reading it upside down. Andy was just losing her flush when her ears perked up and her eyes shot up. They made a beeline to my neck and then followed my collar down my shirt which hung loosely. It was flattering but also made me blush. Shoving the newspaper at her face I pushed her back in her chair.

"Pervert!" I shrieked girlishly. "You like what you see fox?"

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-at?! N-n-n-no. Y-yes. Maybe. No…" she stammered cutely.

I played along with her, turning slightly and clutching my chest protectively. "I… didn't know you wanted things like that…"

Andy was utterly speechless, staring at me.

Laughing madly I reached across the table, grabbing her by her fox ears and kissing her passionately. "Aaaaaaaah, I love you."

She closed her eyes, openly enjoying the attention I was giving her ears. "Mmmm… I love you too Skye."

"So what were you saying about Beacon?" I asked interested.

"Oh," Andy said, searching the page with her finger until she found the article. "It says here that there a school that's holding a festival."

"A school?"

"Yes, I read about it a while back. They're a school that trains Hunters and Huntresses."

"What are those?" I asked now allured by its sound.

"Apparently, they are warriors trained to fight, mainly Grim I believe. They also help keep the peace through the world, traveling, doing jobs, and whatever it takes I suppose," she told me.

I imagined myself as a Huntress, using the skills that I had learned here to fight. Going to school with other students seemed so much like a dream now that we had spent so many years here at the facility. I tried to imagine what it would be like, the facilities halls filled with other students my age going to class and learning how to fight. It gave me warm chills.

"It sounds," I began.

"Magical," we both said at the same time, our eyes connecting.

Gazing at the ceiling I kept daydreaming about attending the school. "Huntress Skye," I said aloud.

"It has a ring to it," Andy said.

"So does Huntress Andy," I told her scratching her ears more vigorously. "Hey maybe one day," I said to her, thinking inside that it would never be possible.

"One day," she repeated.


	7. Chapter 7

"Ah god," the words slipped through my lips.

A massive headache tore my brain apart, my body felt much the same. Basher stumbled over his paws and fell onto my face. I pushed him off unceremoniously, the idiot oddly uncoordinated this morning.

"Basher let me sleep more," I said opening my eyes only to become more confused.

My place was a mess. Furniture was turned over, there were miscellaneous items thrown everywhere. It looked like Basher had a ball while I was asleep.

"Bash, what the hell you do?" then I looked around again. "What in the…" I uttered realizing I was on the floor of my living room.

Picking my lead laden head as much as I dared I spotted Andy. She was curled up in my wheelchair, covered by a blanket.

"Hey dumb fox," I groggily muttered. "Hey!" I said louder, grabbing the end of the blanket and pulling it off her.

As it slid off her like a curtain my eyes widened in shock. Andy was completely naked. It was then that I decided to check myself and discovered that I too was stark nude. I was utterly speechless. I tried to get to my feet but fell, my arms weak and my leg braces not attached to me. Something clinked as I hit the floor and I saw an empty bottle roll off and clink against a family of them laid about in the floor.

"Oh god… Andy is going to kill me."

"Ssssskye," Andy slurred as she began to wake up. "Ow. My head hurts. Little birdie what time is it? Why does my head hurt so much?"

"A-andy," I stuttered somewhere between laughing and shattering into terror, "Don't open your eyes."

Against what I told her she rubbed her eyes until they opened. "Huh, why should I, SKYE YOU'RE NAKED!"

With my hand I covered my areas shyly, extremely embarrassed. "D-d-don't look!" I shrilled at her, Andy sharply averting her gaze. "I'm not the only one."

I saw her eyes slowly look down at herself. She shrieked, jumping so much that she rocked the chair back off its wheels. Andy fell off and hid behind the cover of the toppled contraption.

"Skye, where are our clothes?! Why are we naked?!"

"You're guess it as good as mine," I said annoyed that Andy could hide and I was left on the ground to cover myself with my hands. "I'm thinking though it had something to do with all these empty bottles."

Her head peeked over the edge of the chair spotting all the bottles around. Scowling she rose up enough to point an accusing finger at me.

"You were drinking alcohol again?!"

"Uh Andy, I can see…" I said, still awkwardly holding my chest.

Shrieking once again, she disappeared behind my chair.

"I think we both were drinking Andy."

"Why would I be drinking?" she gasped "What happened last night? I can't remember."

"Uhm Andy? Could we maybe, ya know, just maybe get my clothes first? It'd be a lot easier to talk to you if we could look at each other without uhm… AND I'm still naked here on the floor."

"Oh!" her high pitch voice squeaked. "Of course."

She fumbled about, trying to figure out whether to dress herself first or help me get dressed first while staying naked. The pitter patter of feet that went back and forth was cute if I wasn't still butt naked on the floor. Finally she held up some clothes against herself while coming over to me and handing me my own.

"Do you… need help?" she said, staring in the other direction.

"You want to look and feel my body more eh fox?" I teased, gratefully taking my bundle of clothes.

Andy began to stutter incoherently, disappearing around the corner to get herself dressed. Giggling I began the hassle of getting clothes on. Getting my underwear on wasn't too bad but trying to slide my limp legs into my pants was a pain with how I was stranded on the floor.

"Uh, Andy!" I called over my shoulder.

"Yes Skye? Are you done getting dressed?"

"No, not yet. I uh need your help," I said a little annoyed.

"With what?"

"Getting my pants on."

"Oh," she said, pausing for a while, "I'll be right there."

She came out from the other room fully dressed, easily spotting where she had left me on the floor. Her eyes would dart away but snap back to me, as if trying not to be rude but unable to stop staring. Maybe my butt just looked that good with me in a twisted mess on the floor with legs halfway in my pants. Andy rolled me over onto my back and began to feed my legs into my pant legs.

I pulled her face down and kissed her. "Thank you," I told her when my pants were around my waist.

Without asking she picked me up and sat me down in my wheelchair. I finished getting dressed as she sat on the couch across from me. We both sat there for a while, glancing up at the other but quickly averting our gaze. Andy and I weren't strangers to each other, we had been sleeping in the same bed for a long while. Now though we just had the nude image of each other imprinted on our eyes. I couldn't look at Andy without seeing her without her clothes. Then there was the problem with all the alcohol.

"What happened last night?" I asked her.

"I don't remember… It's all a blur. You were drinking!" she said.

"Andy I don't think that's the-," I began.

"Don't change the subject Skye! You were drinking and you said you wouldn't!"

"But I-… You were drinking too!" I shot back.

Andy looked aghast, "W-why would I be drinking?! It's you who like to drink so much!"

"Well then how do you explain this?" I spread my arms out motioning to the disheveled room. "And, you're hung over, I can tell."

Those thin lips of hers opened to say something back but promptly shut. I think she saw that I was right, even though she detested and despised the thought of herself getting drunk.

"Look," I began, rolling over and taking her hand with one hand and an ear with the other. Andy's body tensed up subconsciously with pleasure at the ear scratch. "Let's start from what we remember from yesterday. I think… I think we had the day off right?'

Andy closed her eyes and scrunched her eyebrows together in thought. "Yes. Yes you're right. I don't remember for what though." She opened her eyes and looked over my shoulder and gasped, "Wait."

I glanced behind me and saw all of our pictures and then it hit me.

"Our anniversary," Andy whispered.

"Oh… so you forgot," I said slyly, taking the advantage.

"No!" she shrieked, "I didn't forget!"

"I'm only kidding Andy! But that's right," I said checking the calendar. "Yesterday was our anniversary. The day we first met up here," I hummed. "At least we celebrate it. I just wish I could remember what we did to celebrate."

"Obviously we were drinking," Andy spat.

I heard a crash somewhere in my room and flinched. Basher back up stumbling from behind one of the couches.

"Oh dear god," I uttered as I realized a pair of Andy's panties were wrapped around his face.

She shrieked in terror, sprinting over to Bash and began an epic battle of tug of war. Basher was desperately fighting Andy, unable to see and trying to run away. Like he would've gotten far blind, that moron.

"Skye help me!"

"Nah, I think I'd rather watch. This is rather entertaining. But if Bash is there where is Spira?" I asked aloud, hearing a muffled caw from a cupboard in the kitchen. "Oh no."

I wheeled myself as fast as I could over, slamming into the counter. Tearing open the cupboard I saw Spira shoved in amongst boxes of junk food. She was tied up like a turkey ready for roasting, her legs and wings bound together.

"Spira!" I cried, pulling her out and putting her in my arms as I undid all the knots. She cawed out in terror finally free she pulled up my shirt and crawled inside, hiding. "What happened to you? Who did this to you?"

A ruffled wing popped out from under my shirt and pointed at Andy. I looked at her aghast as she held a crying Basher in her arms.

"No way," I whispered once again.

"Skye! Basher keeps pointing at you! You did this to him!" she said protectively.

"Uhm Andy, Spira was tied up like a thanksgiving dinner in the cupboard. She keeps pointing at you," I said unbelievably.

"Me?!" Andy looked at the Spira shaped bulged under my shirt and then the balled up Basher in her arms. "We need to find out what happened yesterday."

I nodded, "I think we should start with our scientists."

"Good idea."

Later when were both cleaned up and I had painstakingly put on my legs we stepped out of my room. We had the two pets with us as we walked quietly down the halls to my testing rooms first. Everything was too awkward and weird to say anything. Andy accompanied me as we entered my testing rooms. There were monitors and desk all around, a workshop for my leg braces and exoskeleton, and a large training room visible through a window that spanned an entire wall. Only a few scientists were here working since I wasn't supposed to be doing anything today. Luckily they were the more likeable ones. They told me that I left early from training because I had to meet up with Andy. I was excited despite my usual nastiness towards them.

"I remember that," I told Andy as we walked out. "I headed out and met up with you at your testing rooms and then… and then we went back to my room."

"Yeah," Andy agreed, "I'm starting to recall that too. We went back to celebrate, after that… I can't remember."

"Here let's head to your testing rooms to see if they knew anything."

"No!" Andy said a little more forcefully than she wanted. It was obvious she didn't want me to see where they tortured her. "No, it's okay. We've learned enough from your scientists. Let's go check with security, maybe they caught us on the cameras."

"Okay," I said but didn't let her off so easily. "You know I've seen your testing room. I have an idea of what they do to you. You don't need to hide it from me."

"I know but still, I'd rather not go back there," she said staring at her feet.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her into me, nuzzling my cheek into the top of her head.

"Okay fox, okay," I whispered right next to her orange ear.

It took us a short while to make it to the security room. I kicked open the door much to Andy's shock, walking in like I owned the place.

"Hi boys! I'm back!"

Inside one wall was covered in monitors with cameras watching the whole facility, one guard sitting at the desk watching them all. On the other side was rows of computers and desks next to a couch and a lounge area. Beyond that was another door that lead to an area with personal lockers and weapons.

The half a dozen or so guards inside jumped at my entrance, many shocked to see me while others were blatantly pissed off. I strolled over to the monitors and began typing out things on a keyboard.

"What are you doing here freak?" one of the guards spat.

He was one that I previously had issues with. These issues resulted in him taking a medical leave of absence for an extended period. I ignored him until he came up behind me, trying to intimidate me. Ducking underneath his attempted grab I jumped back, elbowing him in the stomach. Spinning, I swept his leg out from under him and then gave him a good kick in the jaw.

"Anybody else?" I asked the room. The rest of the guards promptly resumed whatever it was they were doing before I had interrupted them. "Good. Nice to see you Pete," I said to the camera operator. He was one of the more amiable guards.

"Uh, you too Skye," he stammered nervously. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yeah, bring up the footage of yesterday. I'm trying to see what me and my friend were up to," I told him.

He thankfully obliged, quickly putting yesterday's feed on a side screen. I scrolled through it until I finally found Andy and I leaving from her testing rooms. I told the computer to follow me through the cameras and footage, watching us head straight back to our rooms. Fast forwarding, I saw that we only left our rooms once. Thankfully we were fully clothed but it was obvious from our swaying steps and the bottles in our hands that we were both drunk. The two of us on screen stumbled about the facility, causing minor havoc wherever we went before returning to the room.

"That's it," I said to Andy.

"Thank goodness we didn't do anything stupid outside," she said over my shoulder.

"Yeah. Let's head back now," I said heading with her to the exit. "Thanks Pete. Hope not to be seeing any of you in the future," I shot to the rest of the room.

Back in my room we both collapsed into couches, disappointed that we couldn't find out anything more about the previous day. My pet Grim slowly warmed back up to the both of us, returning to their normal retarded selves. I rested my chin on my fist, staring at Andy. Then a thought struck me.

"Andy… You don't think we… you know…"

"What do you mean?" then her eyes widened as she realized what I meant. "We… we… Oh my gods," she gasped, flushing a deep red.

"Woah, woah, woah!" I exclaimed. "I mean! I don't think we did! I just uhm… It was just a silly thought!"

"Yes! Yes! A silly thought!"

"You know, we wouldn't…"

"No of course!"

"Would we?"

"Skye!"

"I'm just asking!"

"I mean… it's crossed my mind…"

"It has?!"

"You mean you weren't thinking about it too?!"

"I… well… I mean… maybe… yes, every now and then…"

I had begun to wish I hadn't even said anything. Just trying to talk about it with Andy was making me nervous beyond belief. She was almost quivering.

"Wait! Your camera!" I shouted.

"My camera? YOU THINK WE RECORDED US… US… us…" she stuttered.

"ANDY WHAT?! NO! I mean we might've taken pictures or videos of what we did last night!" I quickly corrected her.

"OH! OF COURSE!" she averted, her fox ears darting in every direction nervously.

We scrambled around the room, desperately trying to locate Andy's camera. It was still kind of a mess but we finally found it buried between the sofa cushions. She leaned over me as I turned it on, getting to the viewer setting. I flipped through the photos already stored on it until I hit the new ones we hadn't seen before.

"Oh my," I let slip.

* * *

"Skye, Skye, let me see!" Andy squealed against my back. "What is it? What is it?"

"Wait, hang on," but I was too late. She swiped the camera out of my hands and buried her face into its small screen.

To my utter surprise it was nothing. All the pictures that I could see were completely normal. The first picture was of us, walking down the hallway. Then us back in the room, Andy was trying to cook while I kept trying to take pictures. It went on and on, us going through our day, celebrating, recording every part.

"It's… just us," Andy murmured.

I came up behind her slowly, wrapping my arms around her and resting my chin on her shoulder so I could watch to.

"Yeah, us and happy."

Then a video popped up and Andy hit play. I could hear our voices squeak from the tiny speaker as the image began to move.

"Skye! I told you, no throwing the pets!" the tiny Andy on screen yelled.

"Haha make me!" I said from behind the camera.

I watched as Andy chased me around, stumbling over the furniture while clutching to Basher. Spira cawed somewhere off screen, she must have been perched onto my shoulder. We ran and ran around until we both collapsed on the ground breathless.

The video ended and went back to pictures. There was one of us both laying on the floor with each other. Then one where Basher sat on my face, trying to get into a shot. I looked pretty pissed off, trying to push him away. A few frames of Basher being his idiot self showed up followed by Spira gracefully perched on a couch arm.

Andy started another video, one from later on in the night and it immediately began with her shrill voice.

"Skye are you drinkin?!" she was holding the camera now and I saw myself quickly hide a flask behind my back.

"What? No of course not!"

"I saw that flask you hid behind your back! Give it here."

"Nope," the mini me pouted, both hands behind my back.

"That makes this easy," Andy's voice said as the camera began to shake vigorously. I could hear me cackled in pain as she tickled me.

Between frames where I could see myself I had the flask at my mouth sucking down all the alcohol I could before Andy could stop me. Then somehow I gained control of Andy, pouring some alcohol into her mouth against her will.

I glanced up at the real Andy frightened for good reason. She was staring back at me with a deathly gaze.

"So you got me drunk little bird," I thought I could hear a hint of C-ydna in her voice.

"Oh give me that!" Andy on screen said, downing the rest of the alcohol left in the flask.

The real Andy and I both stared at each other in disbelief.

"This is a celebration, I'll just make an exception," the camera said.

I watched as I whooped in glee and pulled out more bottles which we both shared. We had begun a drinking game, feeding the grim too, before the video stopped.

"Ha! It wasn't my fault!" I said.

"Fine, hmpf!" Andy said.

We went back to the camera and kept flipping through. The pictures got increasingly outrageous as we drank more and more. I could barely begin to explain some of them. Us making funny faces, doing weird poses on dumb places around the room. None of them explained how or why we got naked though.

There was one last video though and it explained everything. It began with a shot of the floor going past and Andy groaning a lot.

"I feel sick," she said in the video.

"Ahahahahaha. Yeah, you look pur-pur-purple. You should be orange! Like a fox," I heard my slurred voice tease before immediately yelping. "You bit me Andy!"

"That was for 'purr-ing'… and for saying I'm purple… and… and… I AM A FOX! FOX! Fox, fox, fox, I am a fox," she began to sing.

It was clear that we were both extremely drunk.

"Don't… you dare… puke on me you purple faced fox," I heard myself grunt as I got her into the bathroom.

The camera shook a bit as Andy was laid against the toilet.

"Okay, here's the water hole!" I giggled but it was too late.

Andy began to puke, half of it landing in the toilet, the other half getting on herself and me.

"Gross!"

When she was done she passed out. I tried to wake her up, lifting and dropping her arms, tugging on both her ears. For a long while it was just my hands playing and toying with her ears. They were both completely relaxed and lying flat against her head. I would pick them up and let go, watching them fall flat again.

"Oh god Andy you made a mess! Okay… Okay… It's alright," I didn't think that my drunk self knew that no one was listening. "I'm gonna clean us both up."

The camera got set on the sink facing the bath. We both watched as I undressed Andy and got her precariously into the tub throwing on the water. I stripped then too and then got in the tub with her, clumsily cleaning her and myself once we were done. I disappeared for a moment then came back with my wheelchair, picking the clean and naked Andy up and laying her in it, wheeling her out. I came back for the camera and focused it on Andy, curled up under the blanket in my chair.

For a few moment it was silent, shakily watching Andy.

"You're so cute," my voice said from behind the camera. "I just… just want you to know… I am drunk. REALLY drunk, but you did this to me and to yourself and… you're really pretty… and cute… Did I say you were cute? Well, ya cute fox, ya damn cute. God I'm drunk. Uuuuhhhhh my head. I hope you… appreciate me bathing you and all! I almost drowned in there."

At this point the camera began to sway dangerous as I guess I began to lose my balance.

"Oh… oh! And oh! Andy," my voice became very soft, "I love you. I love you… so much."

The camera tilted down a bit as I swayed forward, I think leaning in for a kiss. I was too drunk though and tripped forward, pushing Andy and my chair back and slamming my head on the floor before the video stopped.

Andy turned off the camera, putting it back in its place on a desk next to our wall.

"Skye!" she barked as if I was a pet guilty of something wrong.

"Yes?!" I barked.

"Come!" she said pointing at a spot right in front of her.

"N-now, Andy… You saw," I began.

"NOW!" she ordered.

With my head down and whimpering I slowly walked over to the spot in front of her. It was eerily silent and my heart was pounding. I was expecting a punishment, something bad, or C-ydna to come out and give me a beating. Andy was mad, of course she'd be mad. There were tons of things for her to be mad about. Oh I wish she'd just get it over with already.

Her arms wrapped around me in a tight embrace and she kissed me straight on the lips. I was pleasantly shocked and instantly numb to everything else in the world.

"Thank you," she whispered, "for taking caring of me. And… I love you too, more than anything else in the world."

Tears fell from each of my eyes as I looked back at her.

"You dumb fox," I muttered, reach around and grabbing her backside for a tail.


	8. Chapter 8

The new combat exoskeleton I had was working beautifully. I could tell because I sprinted through crowds of Grim, twirling about and slicing them apart with my plasma sabers. It was almost like dancing with Andy, spinning and spinning. Sighing I wished we could go out and dance somewhere again. We hadn't gone in a real date in a while.

I burst through the last line of Beowulfs, skidding to a stop and facing the rest of the Grim. My combat skeleton was bulkier than my normal walking leg braces. I stood in metal boots that had bars and joints that ran up the outside of my legs, covering them in armor plates. They connected to my waist and an armor backpack that branched out over my arms. The arm bars clamped around my wrists, armored gloves wrapping my hands. My whole body was covered in plated black armor, I was like a modern knight.

Today was another test, more analyzing the exoskeleton, more practice for me and the new weapons they had developed. It was another day but something I could enjoy. Anything that didn't involve those damn scientist subjecting me to more pain was a relief. Smiling I leaped into the air, my augmented body flying 30 feet into the air over the remaining Grim. I landed on one with a crunch, bounding into the fray once again with my two humming swords slicing in every direction. In minutes the forest that I was in was clear, littered with limps and half bodies.

The trees and brush fragmented into pixelated boxes, falling into the ground and dissipated until the gray room walls were all that remained.

"Great job Skye," a voice boomed through the loudspeakers. "You can come out now."

I took a deep breath, wiping the sweat off my brow and tucking the loose strands of hair behind my ears. My tight combat suit that I wore was slightly damp but the exertion of the fight was barely anything. With all the training my body had gotten stronger and used to it all.

The doors automatically slid apart as I walked into the air conditioned testing room, opposite of the glass viewing window. A tiny body ran up and immediately latched around my legs. At first I wanted to shake whoever it was off, still partly in that combat mode, but then an age old voice cut through the air.

"Oh my Gods, Skye! That was wonderful!" the voice was light, almost angelic to my ears, so full of sweetness like a trickling stream of candy.

"You're so tall now onee-chan!" the little one around my legs said.

"Okaa-san?! Robin?!" I exclaimed in utter disbelief as my mother wrapped her arms around me, covered in tears.

My mother was sobbing joyfully into my armored shoulder while my little sister Robin was bouncing about on my leg.

"Onee-chan! Onee-chan! Onee-chan is tall now, she can walk too!" she sang loudly.

"What… How… What are you two doing here? Is Dad here too?" I said, finally breaking out of my stupor and grasping them both tightly to me. I had to be careful not to crush them in my combat exoskeleton.

"Oh him," she said smiling, pulling away so she could look at me, "he's back at home. He couldn't get away from work but told us to give you his best."

"Skye," one of the assistants interrupted and I shot them a dirty glance, "we have to get your exoskeleton off."

My mother gave me a nod and I bent down to peel Robin off my leg, giving her a good ruffle of her red hair.

"Wait right here with Okaa-san okay? I'll be right back," I told her.

"Okay Onee-chan! But you have to carry me on your shoulders later!"

I scratched her head cutely again, "Of course Robin."

I trudged over to a mechanical station, setting both of my armor boots into locks on the ground. Latches came out and hooked into them and around my torso, holding the exoskeleton in place. Disengaging it I watched as the armor and connections peeled away from my body, allowing me to step out of the suit.

"Here," my mother said grabbing my wheelchair that was in the corner, "let me help you."

"No!" I said more forcefully than I wanted to. "I mean… I can walk now Okaa-san, see?"

It surprised me that I had that rage from my childhood still pent up. Actually it didn't. I finally was able to walk. I didn't have to depend on anyone anymore, except maybe those I let and that was only Andy. With one of the people who cared for me so much back around I was protective of my independence. The reliance was like a trap, a prison that I could be thrown back into and I desperately didn't want those chains on me again. I wanted to be free.

My mother cringed at first but then relaxed, looking me up and down.

"Yes, yes Skye you can. Little Robin is right, you're so tall now. I never noticed how much you've grown too, sitting in your chair all the time," she said admiringly.

I bit down on my tongue, holding back from snapping from the old memories.

Robin saved me from the moment, running up and circling me. Her short red hair was messily spiked. It was her namesake and mine combined. I was the sky that the red colored bird flew amongst. I was the air under her wings, her shelter. She ran up to each of my sides, tapping the extremely slim braces clamped around my legs. That cute little button nose pressed against the matte colored metal of them, looking at every inch.

"Is this what makes you so tall Onee-chan?" she asked.

"Haha, this is what allows me to walk," I told her as I picked her up and placed her on my shoulders. She squealed with glee.

"I'm so high! I can see everything from here!"

I laughed and returned my attention to my mother. "See, this is what allows me to walk. I can walk, run, jump, do everything that I used to."

My mother came up to me and lightly touch one side of my legs. "And you can… feel?"

"Yes, yes of course. With these on I can feel everything, like nothing ever happened."

"Oh my, this is a miracle!"

"Not a miracle ma'am," one of the scientists interrupted annoyingly, "just lots of hard work and science. Skye is one of most promising. Her efforts allowed us to progress this far. Skye, we're done for today."

"Thanks," I scoffed, taking my mother's hand. "Oh my Gods. Okaa-san there's someone I want you to meet! You must tell me everything along the way!"

We walked slowly, my mother not having my youthful energy. I told her about the facility, my room and how life was here. Mainly though I went on and on about Andy. My mother's face was something curious. She listened intently but her small smile disguised something that she thought. I asked her but she told me it was nothing. I had to stop myself from going on anymore so I could find out about home.

Mother spoke of home fondly. Things back there were still the same. It almost seemed like nothing had changed. People were growing up, many stayed and others left for work or adventures. There were new buildings built and being built. Dad was hard at work at always. He owned a mechanic shop back home and the family business was doing well. People would come in and he'd fix whatever they brought in. Dad had a particular knack for dust type machines and had taught me a lot while I was back there.

I turned the corner into the hallways where I went to pick up Andy, seeing her standing outside her testing rooms.

"Andy!" I called excitedly but instantly I knew something was wrong.

Andy wasn't waving back or smiling but that wasn't what really shocked me. She was standing totally wrong. Her heels were together, head was down, and hands clasped in front of her. She looked like a maid waiting for a job except that she wasn't dreading whatever was coming.

The other thing that stood out was that there were two adults next to her. There was a woman wearing a floral dress with shoulder length curly hair, wrinkles forming on her brow and around her eyes. Next to her was a man in a casual suit jacket and slacks with a bowtie. He was salt and pepper hair with a groomed beard and mustache. Immediately I felt a taste of bile in my mouth looking at him. We walked up catching the last bits of what he was saying.

"… you're a daughter of mine. Of course the tests would go well! Look at you! Those… dog ears look… good. Your mother and I did really well, after all these years too you've grown up. I bet if you grew up back home you'd even be ten times the lady you are now. And oh if you could see home now! It's changed so much, mainly cause of my efforts and our new business. Well, new to you since you're just finding out about it, but it's been thriving for years back there! Right dear?" he finally stopped ranting.

"Of course honey," replied the other woman. "I think that our Andy would rather-."

"Bah!" the man interrupted. "We must go and," he stopped finally noticing us walking up on them. "Oh and who is this?"

Andy's eyes raised from the floor, locking with mine. She forced a smile and tried to look happy but her eyes looked helpless, trapped.

"Andy," I said ignoring him which earned me quite the nasty sneer, "is everything alright?"

"Skye I," Andy begin but again was interrupted by the man.

"Excuse me. Do you know my daughter?" the man practically demanded.

"Dear!" the other woman interjected but was silenced by his glance.

"Ah, perfect!" my mother clapped her hands together, walking to a spot in between Andy's group and mine. "This is how we got here. Mr. Ted here discovered that we were trying to visit this facility much like himself and offered to pull a few string to help us get here."

I stared at the other man and woman. It was obvious now that these two were Andy's parents. What wasn't obvious was why Andy was so dejected and quiet among their company. I would've expected her to be ecstatic, the kind and lovingly Andy that I knew.

One thing was obvious to me, this Mr. Ted, Andy's father, was a prick and I didn't like him one bit.

Walking past all of them I went over and hugged Andy tightly causing gasps here and there.

"Are you okay?" I whispered into her ear.

She replied with by nipping my ear like I would nip her ears. "Please don't leave me."

"Wouldn't dream," I said back into her ear before stepping to her side and taking her hand. "Yes I know you're daughter," I told her father. "In fact…" I paused glancing at Andy with a dastardly grin, "we've been sharing the same bed for the past few years."

"What?!" her father bellowed.

"Skye?!" Andy shrilled.

Both our mothers almost had the same reaction, clasping their hands together and placing them over their mouths. They both looked happily surprised though.

"Okaa-san, what does Onee-san mean, sharing the same bed?" Robin asked tugging at my mother's skirt.

My mother placed a hand on Robin's head. "I'll tell you in a few years," she giggled.

Oh my mother, what a woman. She always supported me no matter what.

With Andy in shock I gave her a tug, heading back to our rooms. Our guests trailed behind, her father sneering at the back of my head while our mothers began to chat like mothers do. I could hear secrets and childhood stories spilling from both of them. Robin had hopped down and latched onto my mother's hand.

I pulled ahead of them a bit so that Andy and I could talk a little louder to one another.

"Andy what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Okay, you know what I'm about to say."

"I… I don't want to be here. I don't want to be here right now with my parents."

"But why?" I asked confused. "I thought you'd be happy to see them."

"Uhm, sort of. I'd rather they leave right now," she said bitterly.

"But fox, they came all this way to-."

"And I wish they went all that way back!"

I was so confused it didn't make any sense.

"You could at least be nice since they made the effort to come and see you. It sounds like they had to get a lot of favors to visit. Plus they brought my mom and sister along," I tried to reason with her but she remained silent until we arrived back at my room.

We walked into the room and Andy made her way into the kitchen. It was her turn to cook and I think it was something to keep her mind off of things.

"Oh wow," my mom said, "your room is so nice."

"Yes, it is quite homey," said Andy's mom. "Is this your room Andy?"

Andy smiled genuinely this time, "No Mother, it is Skye's but we share it." She obviously was warmer towards her mom.

There was a bark from the other side of the room and Basher came running, his tongue hanging out, from my bedroom. Spira followed him in the air, swooping over to a nearby couch arm rest. I bent down to give them both a good scratch but jumped when there were screams of terror behind me.

"Grim!" Andy's father screamed. "There's Grim here!" He backed up against the front door frozen in fear.

My mother had broken down, grabbing Robin and shielding her with her arms.

"What?! Oh no, stop!" I yelled, grabbing Mr. Ted's wrist as he grabbed a nearby lamp to use as a club. My voice dropped low and to a dark place, "Don't. You dare. Hurt my pets."

Andy has rushed over to reassure her mother and mine, her aura was as healing as my semblance.

"Your pets?!" Mr. Ted exclaimed.

It took some time, sitting them all down and explaining. Andy brought over tea and snacks, but had poured glasses of wine as well. She had a rather large cup for herself which I didn't mind but it did worry me. Our guests were deathly scared but Robin warmed up immediately to Basher as he cuddled with her. Both our mothers were slow but began to see the difference of these unique Grim. Thankfully Spira was as regal as ever and worked on my mother until she was laughing at that mini Nevermore's shenanigans. Mr. Ted sat quietly at the far end of the couch.

"Ahahaha! You're so cute!" Robin said as Basher licked her chin relentlessly.

"Well, we're cooking him for dinner," I joked causing both Robin and Basher to shriek. Bash rolled into a tight ball as my little sister hugged him tightly to her chest.

"Noooooooooo!"

"I'm only kidding," I laughed.

"Anyways," Andy's curt tone cut through the room. She rested a hand on my thigh. "As you can see Father, Mother, I am perfectly fine here. There is nothing wrong so you can head back home."

"Nonsense!" her father said. "We only just arrived and we have much to talk about"

"Like what?" Andy shot. Her voice was getting frightening close to someone we both would rather not pop out. I slipped my hand onto her head and began scratching her ears. I wanted to keep her mind here.

"Plenty! But I'd rather talk, privately," he demanded it rather than asked.

Oh how I wanted to demolish the sly face of his. I simple whistle could set loose Basher and Spira upon him. Hell I could take this wine glass and…

"Why don't we make dinner?" my mother offered, standing up with Spira on her shoulder. "Come on Robin, Skye, we can get started and leave them to talk." She took Robin and headed into the kitchen, already summoning a recipe from memory and perusing for everything she needed.

I reached over and hugged Andy again. "Are you going to be okay? I'll be right over in the kitchen."

"Go. I can handle this."

Smiling weakly I got up and kissed her fox ear, going to help my mother with the food. She had already pulled out ingredients from my fridge and had the stove going. Even as I helped her I kept a watchful eye on Andy and her parents. Something was obviously wrong.

"You love her don't you?" my mom shocked me.

"Wh-what?! Okaa-san what are you saying?!"

"Oh, Skye don't you Okaa-san me," she said bumping her hip against mine. "It's so obvious. The way you look at her, the way you hold her hand and hug her, kiss her, not to mention that you told us all that you two shared the same bed."

"Okaa-san!" that woman never ceases to amaze me.

"You're so cute. Your father would be going crazy if he were here. He'd be running around the room, jumping for joy, and couldn't wait to tell everyone."

"Oh Gods," I moaned covering my eyes with my hand.

"Don't worry my blue sky. I'm not going to get in the way. I actually think you two look very sweet together. I'm simply relieved that you're happy. You can walk now, you've got someone you care for and that cares for you. Everything seems to be falling into place," she stopped to hug me tenderly.

"Please… don't use my nickname," but I couldn't help but hug her back. She was right and saw right through me.

She pulled away and held each of my shoulder, her eyes watering up. "I… I'm happy you came here. I was wrong. Your father and I were both wrong to be so worried and hesitant about giving you our permission… and our blessing. You coming here… it was the right thing."

Now it was my turn to hold back my tears. "Thank you Okaa-san. I… I'm sorry too. I didn't mean all those things I said before I left."

"It's okay. I know," she hummed, returning to preparing food.

All seemed well until…

"GET OUT!" Andy screamed. She was standing now, her hands balled into fists. "GET OUT! GO HOME! LEAVE!"

"DON'T YOU YELL AT ME GIRL!" her father bellowed back, raising a hand to hit Andy.

Instantly I was at her side, protecting her with my body. I was too late to block though, his backhanded slap stinging my cheek. It took all that I had not to crush his skull.

Andy had lost all control. She was clawing behind me, trying to get at her father. I pushed her away with ease, simply caressing her bird tattoo on her neck and staring into her eyes. Immediately she regained herself and stood there. I turned to deal with her father.

"Get out of my way peasant," he growled.

Stepping up to him I grabbed his collar and lifted him off his feet so he dangled in the air.

"I think it's time you left," I said in a fine china voice.

"Don't you think you can tell what to do girl!"

With that I walked the short distance to my door and threw him out into the hallway. The deadbolt slid into the lock position with a clunk.

Andy's mother had taken her into her arms as she sobbed. My mother had come over too to comfort her and protect her. Robin held my two pet Grim in her arms at the edge of the kitchen, Bash and Spira were docile but ready for a fight.

What the hell.

Robin scurried over to me with a frightened look on her cute face. "Onee-chan, what happened?"

"I don't know Red," I said using her nickname. "Hey, Basher and Spira need to be fed. Their food is in the drawer in the fridge. Can you feed them for me?"

"Okay!" she said hurrying off.

I made my way over to the cluster of mothers and Andy, intent on finding out what was wrong.

"Has she said anything?" I asked concerned.

"No, not yet," Andy's mother responded. "I'm sorry. We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Andy's mother, Teresa." Instead of shaking my hand she embraced me in a hug. "Thank you for taking care of her all this time. I've been… so worried."

"I, uh, nice to meet you," I said a little put off. She was a drastic change from Andy's father. "Hey Andy," I said walking over to her. Andy was still sobbing into my mother's arms. "Hey my dear fox, I'm here. What happened? What's wrong?"

At that Andy pushed away, running into my bedroom and shutting the door. Basher tried chasing after her but found that his head was a poor way to open a closed door. He rolled over to the side dazed as Robin fawned over him.

"Okaa-san?"

"I didn't say anything! She just cried as I tried to comfort her and then left," she said equally confused.

"I can explain," Teresa said solemnly.

* * *

Teresa sat down, taking a glass of wine and taking quite a large gulp. Up this close I could see the resemblances between her and Andy. Her hair was dyed darker, but it's auburn and brighter colors were growing in from her roots. They had that same caring, kind face, the one that a child could walk up to and instantly be at ease with. Those eyes were crowded by wrinkles and filled with experience, but they were the same selfless ones I always saw in Andy.

"I trust that Andy's told you how she got here?" she began.

"Yeah," I said thinking back years ago, "she told me that she volunteered. She wanted to become a faunus."

"Oh," Teresa sighed, her eyes growing dark, "so that is what she told you. I am sad to inform you that is incorrect."

"What?!" I exclaimed. "What do you mean?! Tell me!"

"Our family, if you can call it that, wasn't always like this. We didn't have our business, all the money, and all these nice things. Before, when there were the three of us we were barely surviving. We had little food, no electricity, and our home was falling apart. Andy's father couldn't keep a job. He would either get fired or not even be hired. He was an enterprising kind of man who just wanted to be rich," she said with a sad smile.

"Sounds like a nice guy but definitely not the one that was in my room threatening Andy. He was a prick," I scoffed.

"Skye!" my mother berated.

"What? It's true."

"It's also true that without him we wouldn't have been able to visit you so the… man, deserves a little gratitude," she reasoned.

"Hmph."

"No, no you're right Skye," Teresa said, "on both accounts. My husband is a despicable man right now. I wish you could've seen him before all this. He had a good heart and always looked after us, always worked his absolute hardest to make sure we had the best that we could. It wasn't enough for him though."

Teresa began to shake, her words were intermingled between sobs and her face grew pale. My mother sat beside her, hold her shoulders to steady her.

"It's okay," my mother hummed. "Just, tell us when you're ready."

Teresa took a deep breath before she continued, trying to stem her flow of sobs. "One night… he came to me while Andy was sleeping. He said… He said… Oh Gods!" she was rocking back and forth hugging herself.

"That's enough," mother said in a stern loving voice. "You should rest, we can talk more later."

"No!" she cried, "Skye deserves to know. You've seen the same thing I've seen Kimiko, her and Andy…" She returned her eyes to me. "He told me that he had found a way to solve all our problems. He said he could give all three of us a better life. I couldn't believe him when he told me his plan. I was against it, it wasn't right. We couldn't do that to our Andy but he convinced me that we were giving her a better life. That if we did this she didn't have to live on scraps. I believed him. So we…"

I feared what was coming. Something was wrong and every fiber in my body was screaming. Everything about this was wrong.

"You what… Tell me… Tell me now."

Teresa stared at me with dead eyes, "We sold our daughter Andy."

A sharp slap cut through the room as I backhanded Teresa.

"YOU MONSTER!" I bellowed, all the rage inside me unleashing at once.

I lunged at her, aiming for her throat. I wanted to eviscerate her, to tear out her windpipe. They had sold Andy, given up their own flesh and blood for money. They had thrown away the one person in my life that had care and loved me for all these years, the one person that I had given my heart to, the one person that I suffered with. All those years of torturous experiments on Andy is what I wanted them to feel.

My mother leaped up and block me from repainting the couch and floor in blood. She hugged me, not even trying to fight back. Her hands touched my two tattoos, somehow knowing about the paw on my side. It caged me up in painful memories of Andy.

"Go to her Blue Sky," she said. "Teresa is already in her own self agony. Nothing you can do will hurt her more. Go to Andy, she needs you."

"Okay Okaa-san," I said softly.

"Teresa, here come along. You should help me make dinner so we can all eat tonight," she gently picked up the broken woman, helping her to the kitchen to distract her with cooking.

I whistled two notes, two simple notes that made Bash's and Spira's heads jerk up. They scurried over to me, hopping onto the couch.

"Basher, Spira listen," I said. "Bash, this is serious," I told him, tucking away his hanging tongue back in his mouth and resting my hand on his head. Instantly he became attentive, noticing my sternness. "Whatever happens, you two protect them," I said looking at our mothers and Robin in the kitchen. "They are my family, my mother, my little sister, and Andy's mother. Certain people want to hurt them, Andy and maybe even me. Watch them and don't let that other man back inside our home. Understand?"

If a Grim could grin Basher was doing it. He growled as a response while Spira held her head high with the new mission. Both were taking this seriously. My idiotic like Ursi was baring his fangs slightly while his claws extended to the full length from his fat paws. Spira's own talons were protruding from her feet, her feathers quivering with anticipation. Their eyes burned a deeper blue with pure resolution to ensure that my family was protected.

Basher hopped off the couch and waddled like a lion on the prowl over to the door. He stopped a couple feet back and kept his eyes on the door, not even bothering to sit down. Spira was about to hop away before I stopped her.

"Spira, a feather please," she didn't even caw in complaint but stuck out her wing, keeping her head and eyes trained on the kitchen. I plucked out a single razor sharp feather, careful not to cut myself. "I'll return it afterwards."

Spira just cawed as if saying 'keep it,' ruffling her feathers. She covered the distance to the kitchen in a few flaps of her wings, landing on a chair at the counter. Her talons clacked on the wood as she turned to face the door, keeping her head on a swivel so she could constantly scan the room.

"Thank you," I whispered to no one in particular.

I went over to the bedroom door, knocking on it even though I knew what Andy was going to say.

"GO AWAY!" she screamed. To me it sounded more like 'help' the way it was said through gritted teeth and body wrenching sobs.

"My lovely fox, it's your bird," I said to the door.

"Sk-Skye?"

"Yes it's me, can I come in?"

"No! Stay out! Leave me alone!" she said weakly.

That was my cue. I took Spira's feather and slid it into the door. A normal feather wouldn't have done a thing, but Spira's were razor sharp and stronger than steel. It slid into the seam and with a little bit of wiggling unlocked the door.

Inside was a wreck. Andy had been busy exerting her anger. A quick search and I found her nestled in a far corner, crying in ruins. I went and knelt before her, reaching out to scratch her fox ear but she slapped away my hand.

"Don't touch me!"

"Andy, are you alright?" it was such a dumb question.

"Please my little bird, just leave me alone," she begged, hugging her legs to her chest.

"I can't do that fox, you know that."

Those cute ears of hers flattened against her head. "Why did they have to come here? I was happy here with just the two of us, everything was just fine."

"Your mom doesn't seem that bad," I said, purposely leaving the other prick out. "They…" I hesitated, knowing I was about to upset a hornet's nest, "They told me… about how you got here. They told me… how they sold y-."

I didn't get to finish my sentence as Andy slapped me with full force. I was stunned, clutching my tender cheek. Andy stood above me, her face… distraught, despairing, sad, and guilty.

"How… How… No…" she mumbled. "Get out…" she whispered deathly.

"No," I said stubbornly. "I'm not leaving you and, this is technically my room."

She shoved me with full force, throwing me onto my back.

"Get out! Get the hell away from me! You… you stupid… CRIPPLE!" she said that last word with such force.

That hurt me more than her slap, more than her tears, more than her agony. It threw a lance that cut through all my armor, all my love and went straight through my heart. Here was the girl I loved, calling me the worst, most personally damaging thing she could. It was one word that held all the intimacy we shared used as a weapon against me.

But I couldn't let it impede me. It was my turn to be the selfless one.

"Y-y-y-you're not… getting rid of me… that easily," I struggled on my words, fighting past the internal agony I felt.

"Fine! You know what!" Andy's eyes glazed over and I knew what was coming. "C-ydna is back to play!"

But I already had closed the gap while she was switching personas. I had both her wrists in my hands and pinned her against the wall, holding them above her head.

"You've been naughty cripple, cripple. I've got to punish you for trying to hurt Andy now," it taunted.

I was prepared and released both of Andy's wrists as I leaned in and kissed her lips. C-ydna pulled back surprised and probably disgusted but since I had pushed Andy back into the wall there was no where he could go. He didn't even try to use his free hands to attack me. I tried to force every bit of love I could muster from my wounded heart into my lips, hoping…

Pulling away I saw Andy again, my Andy shocked that she had woken up so quickly.

"How did you do that?" she demanded.

"Luck, and a bit of love," I replied emptily. Her and C-ydna's voices taunting 'cripple, cripple, cripple' still rang through my ears.

Andy didn't give up and shoved me off of her, causing me to stumble back a few steps to the bed. I took a step toward her again but she took a swing at me, _actually_ tried to punch me. Dodging it I took another step, granting me a slap.

"Goddamnit Andy why now of all times do you have to be so stubborn?"

"Stay away from me cr-cripple!" she wailed, forcing out the insult this time.

Bellowing out I rushed the small space in between us, taking hit after hit, slap after slap, and hand after hand shoving me and my face away.

"Andy… ugh! I'm just… OUFF! Trying to… AHH! HUG YOU!" finally I swatted away all of her hands and wrapped my arms around her.

Even then she squirmed and fought but I held on tight. She bucked and turned, pushing us back and onto the bed. Finally she resorted to biting.

"OUCH! So you wanna bite?!" I said, filling my mouth with her fluffy orange fox ear and biting down with significant force.

Andy shrieked in pain but finally stopped fighting. It was then I could hear her crying. "Please… Please Skye… just bite them off. Bite my ears off so I don't have to have them anymore! I can't… I can't stand them!" she pleaded.

I spat out the fur in my mouth and began rubbing her ear tenderly, keeping my other hand latched around her. "Now why would you want that?"

"Because… because…"

"Andy what's going on? Why didn't you tell me that… that… how you got here?" I asked.

"I couldn't tell you. I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want you to know that my parents sold me for money. I didn't want you to know that I was forced to come here. I didn't want you to know that I didn't want to be a faunus," she cried.

Now I understood. This was her secret. This was what she hide from me for all these years.

"I felt so guilty not telling you but I couldn't," she continued. "I hated coming here but then it all changed with you and… I was afraid to tell you… I thought, I thought."

"You thought what? I'd just ditch you?"

"I thought that you'd feel sorry for me and I didn't want that," she said nuzzling into my chest.

"Andy, I love you. No matter what happens and no matter what happened in your past I will love you," I said tenderly, kissing her forehead.

Andy's arms slid around my torso and squeezed hard. "My father came today because his reputation was at stake. There were rumors going around that he had sold his daughter to get his enterprise started. He wanted to get me to love him again. I can never love him," she explained.

"Oh…" I muttered. "I uh… didn't know that."

"It's okay, there's no way you could but you asked what was wrong. I never wanted to be a faunus. I didn't hate them or like them but I never wanted to become one. I just wanted to be with my family again. But… it all changed with you Skye. You made me love being here, you made me love being a faunus, you showed me how to appreciate my life," she told me.

I was shaking with nervousness, my heart pounding. It was nerve racking everything she was telling me and I couldn't help flushing red.

"Y-y-you know," I began shakily, "your mom really loves you. She regrets what they did and was convinced by your father."

"I didn't know that my father convinced her but I could have guessed. I know… she loves me very much," she said. "I'm sorry…"

"For?"

"Calling you a you-know-what."

"Apology not accepted," I cringed.

"Skye, please!"

"Nope, it's your punishment. Plus you slapped me, unleashed C-ydna on me, and bit me."

"Little bird… I wasn't in the right mind."

"Still nope. There's one way you can make up for it though," I said rising from the bed and taking her with me.

"What is it?"

"Eat dinner with me and let me introduce you to my mother and sister."

"Okay Skye."

"And! You put in a good word to your mom for me."

"Of course."

"AND!" I shouted, causing Andy to jump. "Ears. All night."

"Skye! Really?"

"That's my deal, take it or leave it," I said walking to the door, leaving her by the bed.

I heard her run up behind me and glomp me from behind. "Okay."


	9. Chapter 9

Outside was a homey bustle. I kept Andy close to me, to let her know that I wasn't going anywhere and also to keep an eye on her. My mother had already rejuvenated Teresa, politely arguing with her about recipes. They weren't really arguing but doing that mother competition I suppose but really they were both smiling and laughing which was the good part. Robin was teasing Spira, trying to get her attention as she kept her keen eyes on the room. Spira spotted the two of us and promptly took to the air, landing on the top of Andy's head.

"Wha- Spira?! What are you doing?"

"Ahahaha," I laughed, "Spira your feather."

Spira took the feather in her beak but flew over to our wall of photos, sticking its sharp end into the wall before flying back and landing on Robin's head, much to her delight.

"Well, Spira is officially on our memory wall," I said aloud.

"Awwwww, I wanna a feather, I wanna a feather!" whined Robin.

Without hesitation, Spira outstretched a wing and plucked a feather from it, bending forward so she held it right in front of Robin's face.

"Ooooooooooooooo," Robin squealed.

"Robin, careful," I said sisterly, "her feathers are extremely sharp so don't horse around with that."

"Yes Onee-chan!"

"Skye!" Andy said, taking a seat at the kitchen counter and pouring herself another large glass of wine. "You never told me you had a sister!"

"You never asked?" I felt guilty now. We both had things about our past that we didn't tell each other, some good, a lot bad. "Ahem, well this little runt," I said pulling Robin over with Spira still on her head, "is my younger sister Red."

"Onee-chan! That's not my real name," she wailed sticking out her tiny paw at Andy. "Hi, I'm Robin, nice to meet you."

Andy seemed quite surprised but shook her small hand gently, "Hello Robin, I'm Andy."

"Andy onee-chan! I have another sister now. Andy, Andy, what did one-chan mean when you 'share the same bed'?" she asked, causing me to spit out the gulp of wine in my mouth.

"I-I-I-I, W-well, uhm…" Andy stammered while I chocked beside her.

"Robin!" my mother chided from across the counter. "I told you, you'll get to know in a few years."

"But Okaa-san that's too long!" she wailed.

I chuckled nervously, thankful that she saved me.

"Blue Sky," my mother said using my nickname, "are you going to properly introduce me?"

"Okaa-san, not the nickname. Andy, this is my mother. Okaa-san, this is my… uh girlfriend Andy," I said growing weak at saying the 'g' word aloud.

"It's very nice to meet you," she took my mother's hand. "Blue Sky?" she asked me smiling.

"Oh please call me Kimiko," my mother told her. "And Skye hasn't told you about her namesake?"

"No, she hasn't," Andy eyed me as I started to chug my glass of wine.

"Well, I call her Blue Sky because we named her after the boundless world above our head. She came from the heavens, was free and boundless, and was our world hence Skye. The other little one we named Robin for her burning red hair," she said.

"That's why I call her Red," I said over my shoulder to Andy.

"Yes, yes," my mother continued, "our little Red Robin flew in the air, amongst the clouds in the sky. Skye was her home, the air under her wings, the thing that always protected her."

"Skye," Andy cooed, "you never told me your name had so much meaning."

"Ugghhh, because it's embarrassing," I wailed, hiding my face in her neck.

"Food is done," Teresa said, bring a steaming plate out of the oven. "Oh, Andy," she said timidly, seeing Andy sitting across the counter.

For a while it was tense, the two of them staring at each other. I squeezed Andy's hand as we all watched.

"Andy," I finally broke the silence, "Are you going to introduce me?

"O-oh, yes. Skye, this is my mother. Mother, this is Skye," she said.

I shook Teresa's hand out of courtesy since we had already met, still waiting anxiously.

"I've missed you," Andy said quietly.

"Oh Andy!" Teresa cried, sprinting around the counter and hugging her lovingly. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Soon their words were indiscernible and they cried together, hugging one another. I glanced at my mother and she looked back at me smiling. We were both thinking the same thing. It took a while for the two of them to stop sobbing, after more apologies and hugs for everyone before we set up the dinner table and began to eat. Then the secrets came out again, causing more embarrassment and more laughter. Both our mothers got along well and both loved to share stories that we would rather not hear again. Andy and I were just happy, enjoying the company and our family. It was a wonderful change to have guests over, especially these guests.

As the night was coming to a close I took the picture we had taken together and pinned it to our wall. All four of us, plus two Grim, had smashed together for a group photo. We had all crushed each other in a hug, Andy and me in the middle, Robin on my shoulder with Bash in her arms and Spira on her head, and our two mothers completing the circle around us. I took a step back, admiring the picture beside all the rest of them.

Andy hugged me from behind, showing our families to her room across the hall where they could all sleep for the night.

"Your family was amazing," she hummed, both of us tipsy from the wine.

"Yours was too."

"Bah! Only my mother."

"Still."

"Yeah."

We stood there with each other for a while, staring at our wall of memories and simply enjoying being close to one another.

"Both our mothers want us to explain my ears and everything faunus about me tomorrow," Andy told me.

"Robin is not going to let go of your ears once she pets them," I chuckled imagining the situation.

"Oh she can play with them all day."

"And I have to break my back just to get a few minutes with them," I complained.

"You know what we have to do tomorrow right?" she asked sadly.

"Yes. Yes my love, my fox. I've thought about it all evening."

"Me too little bird. We have to confront my father," she said solemnly.

With that I felt the sharp shudders of Andy's body against mine, making a promise in my head. I would break that man before he even thought of harming Andy.

* * *

It was morning and I didn't want to get up. Something small, squishy and warm was wrapped in my arms. I held them tighter, wanting to sleep in more. Fluff tickled my nose and face, not letting me go to bed. It could've been Basher or Andy but I didn't care, I opened my teeth and chomped down on whatever was in front of me.

"Ouch! Onee-chan you bit my ear!" I heard Robin's voice squeal.

Realizing that it was Robin in my arms I jumped back surprised, falling off the bed loudly. I pushed myself up into a sitting position, my leg braces not on, rubbing my sore head.

A messy head of red hair crawled to the edge of the bed, staring at me from amongst the cloudy blankets and pillows.

"Robin?" I yawned, "How'd you get in here?"

A likewise brightly haired head that sported two mountainous fox ears peaked over the edge, right beside Robin.

"She came in last night wanting to sleep with her lovely Onee-chan like years ago so… I let her in," Andy said sleepily.

I fell onto my back, spotting idiot number one asleep on his back, limps in every direction. I picked his lifeless body up and threw him at the orange and red heads on the bed. There was a grunt and then Grim-ish shriek as he woke up… right before connecting with Robin's face. It took both her and Andy to peel the frightened and hopeless Ursa of her face, the whole time I was cackling. If I could roll around and laugh I would but my lifeless legs were just a dry anchor. With him finally off Robin's face he curled up in her arms, crying the whole time.

"Cry-baby Grim!" I shouted.

"Skye!" Andy chided, "No throwing the grim and no hurting their feelings!"

I started to inch my way over to the sleeping Spira and said, "What you gonna do?"

Andy and Robin's eyes connected for a moment before they disappeared back on the bed. Then they stood up, Bash now sitting on top of Robin's head and grinning at me as he held onto her red tuffs of hair. Both of them had pillows in their hands and were ready to launch them.

"Y-you'll… You'll never take me alive!" and then it began.

Pillow after pillow slammed into me. Andy and Robin were throwing with full force and I was helpless on the ground immobile. I tried to block with my arms but fell onto my back without the support. I thought I heard Spira cackle off to the side. Soon they ran out of pillows though and I laid there dead.

Andy and Robin were hugging and dancing on top of the bed in victory, Bash bouncing up and down on Robin's head. They finally noticed me lifeless on the floor though, coming over and kneeling beside me.

"Onee-chan?" Robin said shaking me, "Onee-chan wake up! Andy onee-chan what's wrong with her?"

"Hmmm," Andy hummed, "Oh I know how to wake her up."

I felt fingers crawl around me and then tickle me. There was nothing I could to but writhe on the ground laughing against my will.

"I surrender! I surrender!" I wailed.

"See?" Andy said, helping me back into a sitting position.

"But Onee-chan, why didn't you move, or hide?" Robin asked, always observant. "Oh no! Did you hurt yourself again like in the accident? Did we… Did I…"

I pulled her into a hug, nuzzling against her soft red hair. "Nononono, of course you didn't Red. I just don't have my leg braces on see," I told her tapping my legs. "I'm perfectly fine," I reassured her.

Andy as always brought over my leg braces and stood them next to me.

"Uh, Robin, you're going to have to go outside for this."

"But Onee-chan! I want to watch! I want to see how you can walk," she said bouncing up and down.

"Come on Robin, you can come outside and-," Andy said but Robin's cries drowned her out.

"I want to see! I want to see! I want to see!"

Andy and I locked eyes before I mumbled, "Okay Red."

She helped me into the braces and I hesitated before initiating the sequence to connect them to me. This was an agonizing ordeal, one I definitely did not want Robin to experience but there was no way of getting her away from me.

Andy saw my apprehension and took my hand, "You don't have to do this. I can grab your chair. Robin really shouldn't see something like this."

I glanced at Robin who had sat on the edge of the bed and was watching anxiously.

"You and her are the two people I can't say no to," I smiled weakly at Andy.

Just as I was about to hit the button to activate my legs Andy caught my hand. She got real close to my face before shoving one of her fox ears at me.

"Here."

"What?"

"Bite down on my ear," she ordered.

"What?!" I said incredulously. "Andy I can't do that! The amount of pain I feel, I might tear it right off!"

"It's fine Skye! I'm letting you bite down on my ear for once. And… I don't care if you bite it off, I'll still have the other one," she whispered meekly.

I opened my mouth to argue but as I did she shoved her ear to the back of my throat, shoving my hand out of the way and hitting the start button.

My teeth chomped down on the fluff ball stuck into my mouth. Andy's fox like yelp broke my heart as my screams were muffled by her ear. Her arms hugged me tight as my whole body convulsed, seizing up from the jolt the circuits that connected to my nervous system. I tried to focus on that fox ear, on Andy in front of me. It only just took off the edge.

When it was finally over I took her by the shoulder and spat out her fox ear, examining every millimeter of it to see the damage she had forced upon herself. Near the base of her ear were deep teeth marks where I had bite, blood trickling from each one of them. It was a damn miracle that I hadn't bit the damn thing off.

"Oh Gods Andy your ear," I uttered.

"I'm fine. Really Skye I'm okay," she said a bit teary eyed.

We held each other, both turning to Robin who had gone very pale. I ran over to her, holding her shoulder so she wouldn't faint on me.

"Hey! Hey Red! Are you okay?"

"Is it… is it always like that Onee-chan?"

"Every time," I whispered, hugging her tight to my chest. "You have to make me a promise. Don't tell Okaa-san about this alright?'

I felt her nod into my chest, holding onto me tight.

"Come on, let's go make some breakfast."

All three of us, plus the two Grim trailing behind, went out and began making breakfast. Robin waited on the chair at the kitchen counter, coaxed back into her usually self with the help of Bash and Spira. Andy was focused on making breakfast and I was focused on her ear. She complained the whole time I was cleaning it and tending to it, making sure it wasn't going to fall off on her. No matter how much she said she didn't care if it did I worked to make sure it didn't although that ear may have some scars in the future.

A knock at the door made me and my two Grim jump, each of us readying for a fight but it only happened to be our mothers. They immediately tried to jump into the kitchen to help us cook but between me and Andy we shooed them away. It was our turn to show them our recipes, well, Andy's recipes because I wasn't much of a cook. Teresa dragged me over to our photo wall while my mother stayed with Andy. It was a two pronged attack! They separated us to divide and conquer! Those scheming mothers of ours.

For what seemed like an hour we went over each pictures and story and memory, many making me laugh and many bringing me close to tears. Teresa was very supportive and told me many of the stories from Andy's youth as I suspect my mother was doing as well. Andy was very much the same kind and caring person that she was today. Her mother told me how unselfish she was, no matter how poor or hard their lives got she was always thinking about others. She told me of how they were always teasing her about her bright orange hair.

"You know," Teresa said in a voice that made me feel all of her age and experience, "I'm not surprise that Andy turned into a fox."

"What do you mean?" I replied, feeling my temper start to boil slightly.

"Oh please don't take it like that," she said somehow reading my body language. "I meant that it suits her so well. She was always _listening_ to others, always looking out for them. It doesn't surprise me that the Gods gave her an extra set of ears. Plus they look so cute on her, matching her orange hair don't you think?"

I felt my cheeks begin to blush as I stuttered, "Y-yes. They're very cute."

We stopped in front of the very first picture that Andy and I ever put onto the wall. I stared at us both dressed up, damning her quietly in my head for torturing me with that makeup and that dress but also feeling quite warm remembering our first official date. It had been quite a long time since that night.

"So your mother and I were talking last night Skye," Teresa began, immediately making me straighten in my skin apprehensively.

"About what?"

"About how you love my daughter."

"O-o-oh…"I stammered, blown away by the topic.

Andy and I both knew that we loved each other. We professed it to one another daily and were constantly reminded of the pains and joys that we had struggled through with our relationship. It was a whole another thing when someone else brought it up, especially when it was our mothers. The topic almost felt like taboo to talk about.

"How uhm… did you know?"

Teresa leaned into me grabbing me by the hip. "Oh Skye, I may be old but I'm not blind dear. Plus your mother confirmed my suspicions last night while we talked."

"I wonder what else you were talking about," I mumbled.

"You love my daughter. I can tell from this wall and the way she talks about you and the way you treat her that it is truly genuine. I wanted to take this time to offer you my blessing," she said with bright eyes.

I turned to her in disbelief, "Your blessing?"

"Yes, I am unsure with the circumstances if we will be visiting you again anytime soon. It is quite apparent that you care for my daughter beyond the care of your own life."

"Well, that isn't quite," I began but she cut me off.

"Andy told me about your semblance and how you constantly walk the line of death when healing her," she said smiling.

"Oh… she told you that…" I said defeated once again. This woman was as formidable as my own mother. I wonder if they traded more than cooking recipes…

"You love her, with all your heart. I believe that you will always love her and you will never leave her side. You protected her for all these years and you protected her from my husband when I couldn't. For all this, I wish to give you my blessing," she said staring into me with the same kind eyes as Andy.

"I…" I began, frozen from the warmth of Teresa's word. "I would be honored to have your blessing," I finally said.

She took me in her arms and hugged me, making me realize how frail her body was.

"Then it is yours," she said beside my ear. "Please, look after her for me."

"I will," was all I could say as I was on the verge of tears.

She stepped back from our hug and turned to check on my mother and Andy who were likewise crying and hugging. I assumed that my mother had bestowed her blessing on Andy as well.

"I always wanted another daughter," Teresa said.

"You wouldn't want me," I told her, "I was a horrible daughter."

"Your mother loves you. Your sister loves you. My daughter loves you. I think that you're a wonderful daughter, don't be so hard on yourself," she said warmly.

I didn't respond, I was too overjoyed to. We went over to the kitchen where breakfast was ready, Andy sprinting around the counter to my side.

"Your mother just gave me her blessing! Did you know about this?"

"Haha, your mom just did the same to me. I think they were scheming all this last night in your room," I told her, kissing her bandaged ear.

She hugged me viciously, kissing me hard on the lips. "I feel so happy right now. Everything feels so amazing!"

"Me too my fox, me too."

We all sat at the counter, making room for more chairs so we could all sit together. Robin had Bash in her lap, his maw sitting on the counter top while Spira bounced from head to head. She finally settled on Robin's, probably finding the red nest likeable and comfy. The table was bustling even though it was still morning. Everyone was talking while cramming food into their mouths. Robin kept feeding Bash and Spira secretly, thinking that no one noticed. My mother began asking Andy about her faunus traits and her ears which Andy embarrassedly answered. She didn't go much into detail to her experiments and I helped steer the conversation to avoid it. Robin didn't stop begging until Andy let her touch them, which she happily obliged. I told her to be careful since one of her ears were already injured and plus they were sensitive. After though I showed her the exact way to give Andy the most pleasure, even which she couldn't escape. We bent Andy to our will which she flushed red at, her ears going flat against her head like they always did when she was embarrassed.

"Hmpf," she said sliding back into her chair, "You are mean."

"Oh Andy," Teresa laughed, "You are so cute!"

"Mother please! Not you too!" Andy complained.

I hugged Andy kissing her cheek, "You might as well accept it fox."

We all laughed carelessly, full of food and joy. After we settled down we cleaned up the counter and dishes. Andy and I almost had to fight our mothers to do the dishes. Those women, proud and strong and always trying to do work.

"Okay, me and Andy have to go to work now," I said.

"Awwwww," moaned Robin, "but why can't you stay with us Onee-chan?!"

"Yes, we did come all this way and made all this effort. They couldn't give you a day off?" asked Teresa.

I grabbed Andy's hand and squeezed, "Sadly no. We still have to uhm go to work."  
"Alright, well I want to come and watch," my mother said.

"Me as well," said Teresa, "I think it'll be nice to see what you do every day here Andy."

"No!" Andy and I both cried at once. We stared at each other with wide eyes.

"You should come watch me train!" I yelled. "It's much more interesting and plus uh Andy likes her privacy during her days."

"Yeah, Skye's days are way more interesting than mine," Andy agreed quickly.

"Well, okay if you insist," agreed Teresa thankfully.

I didn't want to imagine what our families would think if they had to witness what Andy went through on a day to day basis. Granted her days were easier and less painful but still her daily routine was torture compared to my days.

We all got ready, Andy and I leading the way. Stepping out the door it was like any other day, until I heard the cry of mirth.

I saw Andy's father screaming incoherently, charging both of us. He must have been waiting for us just outside our door. There wasn't time to react, he had something in his hands and he was aiming for Andy. Without thinking I pushed her behind me, trying to block her from the brunt of his attack. Unable to block a syringe stabbed into my neck. I watched Andy's father's mad eyes, bloodshot from the lack of rest, twitch as the contents of that syringe emptied into me. The effects were immediately, feeling disappearing from the tips of my fingers, then my hands and legs, and then my whole body felt like jello. I stumbled, trying to stay on my feet, trying to stay in the fight, only to collapse against the wall.

With me out of the way he advanced toward the shocked Andy who was stupidly focusing on me and not the man who was attacking her. He slapped her across the face and grabbed hold of her wrist.

I gritted my teeth, slouched against the wall on the floor helpless. There was nothing I could do, my body didn't respond to anything I told it to do. Our mothers were still inside our apartment, gods I hope they were hiding, and my Grim were with Robin. There was nothing, nothing that I could do.

"It's time you learned your place you piece of trash," Andy's father sneered.

"No! Let go of me!"

"You are my daughter, MY DAUGHTER! And as my daughter you will love me. I will not have some girl ruin my life and all that I have built. You understand?!" he shouted at her.

"Let me go!"

He actually punched her in the stomach, making me cringe and twitch on the ground. But then something I was intimately familiar with began to happen. Andy's body went limp and her eyes glazed over.

"No… No! Andy fight it! Andy don't let him win!" I shouted from the floor.

It was too late though. The first sign of life was an evil grin that dawned on Andy's lips and I knew… I knew that it was him.

"Too late you stupid bird," I heard that voice say. "Dadda? Is that you?"

"Finally willingly to give up?" Mr. Ted clamped down on Andy's wrist but she didn't show any pain. I don't think it felt any pain.

"Give up? Now why would I go and do that," that voice taunted. "Oh, oooooh! You must have me mistaken for Andy. No, no, no, no, no I'm am SOOOO sorry but Andy isn't here right now."

"Stop playing around girl!" Mr. Ted shouted.

"Oh but I love to play! Especially with someone so fun to play with!" it screamed, overpowering Mr. Ted. His grip was broken and he was shoved away with significant force.

"What the hell?!" Mr. Ted cried incredulously.

"Oh you'll see hell soon Dadda. For hurting Andy, you'll get to see a lot of hell, but first," lighting quick it was on top of Mr. Ted, snapping his arm that was holding onto Andy's wrist.

He screamed in agony, clutching a hand that was pointing in the wrong direction. "What the hell?! My arm! You broke my arm stupid goddamn Andy!"

"Andy?" her voice faked surprise. "Oh you've got this all wrong Daddy. Andy isn't here. She's gone, away, far away where you couldn't hurt her. I'm a totally different person."

The pain in Mr. Ted's face ceased and was immediately replaced with a confused sort of terror.

"Yes, I'm not Andy. The moment you tried to hurt her she went deep inside where it was safe. Instead, she let me come out to take care of things and play!" it almost sang.

"You're a goddamn monster you hear me?! You're an abomination you putrid faunus fake! That's all you are Andy, a failed experiment!" Mr. Ted screamed.

A swift kick to his groin was followed by another to his ribs. I distinctly heard bone snap.

"Oh Daddy. Dadda why aren't you listening? Haven't you been hearing a single word I've said?" with that the voice dropped into a deep, evil tone. "I'm not Andy. She's gone right now. My name, is C-ydna."

C-ydna laughed maniacally as he bashed Andy's father. Kick after kick struck his ribs, shattering them to pieces. He picked him up and slammed him into a wall, then picked him up again only to throw him to the floor. The sounds of broken bones didn't stop as C-ydna used just Andy's foot to kick and kick Mr. Ted.

"Andy! Stop!" I screamed desperately.

It was futile. Blood splattered all along the walls. It pooled underneath his body. It splotched and stained all of Andy's body. And when all life had left Andy's father's corpse C-ydna still battered it, using only Andy's hands and feet. Only when there was a bloodied pile of dead flesh in the hallways did he stop. He took a moment to admire his work before walking over to me, his feet making a disgusting squish from all the blood underneath his shoes.

C-ydna stood over me, watching me pitifully.

"Oh birdie, small, useless birdie, you couldn't protect Andy. You couldn't save her from a single old man," he said, admiring the blood covering Andy's body.

"G-go away! Give back my Andy!" I demanded, terrorized by C-ydna.

"You know she needs me," he sighed, "You're too weak. You can't protect her. You're the reason why I exist."

"No… No…" I whispered.

"It doesn't matter now," he said, bending over and caressing my face. Blood dripped onto my legs and smeared across my face. "Andy is safe now and that's all that matters. You… You…."

Andy's eyes glazed over again and when they came back to life I saw my love in them.

"Skye?" she asked confused, "Skye what's going on? What is all this red…"

"Andy don't look," I pleaded with her but it was too late. She turned and saw what was left of the body down the hall and screamed in horror. "ANDY! ANDY! Look at me! LOOK AT ME!"

Andy collapsed onto her knees, holding her bloodied hand in front of her.

"ANDY! ANDY! Andy, I killed him!" I said to her.

Andy's eyes locked with mine. She always could tell when I was lying but this time would be different. This time she would believe me. I had to make her believe me, for her own sanity. I began to tear up, crying paralyzed on the ground.

"Andy I'm… so sorry. I… I…. I killed him. I killed your father," I wailed with all my heart. "I… I… He attacked me. He attacked you. And I… I…"

Her arms were slow but firm as they wrapped around my limp body, pulling me close to her in a hug.

"It's… going to be okay," was all she managed to say.

It all was going to be okay… because I wouldn't let her find out about this. I would never let her find out. She could never know, never know that it wasn't me who killed her father. This was my secret to bear to my grave, for Andy's sake and sanity. The blood, his blood was on my hands… and that's the way it was going to stay.

* * *

The girl in the mirror stared back at me sullenly. Her eyes were red and purple bags haunted them. That dark hair was a mess from rolling around on the bed. It had been like this for over a month now, or more she had lost count. Nightmares filled her nights, nights like these that kept her awake and without rest. Not even the comfort of her most loved one could stop them.

I uncapped the flask and drank from it, trying to drown out the flashbacks. They were memories C-ydna torturing me, beating me senseless while I laid there helpless. I took another drink, blood soaking my shirt and hands. The metal flask clattered in the sink as I dropped it, checking my hands and seeing them now clean of Andy's father's blood. Picking up the leaking flask I drank again, seeing images of C-ydna again hitting me or Andy helpless against torture. It was a constant repeat, one flashback after another.

I knew I didn't kill her father, I knew it! To protect Andy though I had to believe it, had to truly think in my heart that it was my fault and my hands that took his life away. That line between the lie and reality was becoming fuzzier by the moment. The increase in alcohol consumption barely took off the edge, and barely kept Andy from beating me senseless.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked my reflection helplessly. The girl in the mirror looked back at me desperate and useless.

A patter of feet alerted me and I quickly shoved the flask behind the medicine cabinet to hide it. Andy stumbled in, shield her eyes from the bright light of the restroom, her fox ears hanging low from just getting up.

"Skye," she yawned, "Is that you?"

"Yes my fox," I said lovingly, "it's me."

Her eyes adjusted to the light, finally seeing me in my disheveled state. "It happened again didn't it?" she asked solemnly.

"It's… still happening," I told her remorsefully.

Andy came up to me and embraced me in a hug. I think I felt her cringe, the alcohol was fresh on my breath and my body but she didn't say anything. Somehow she knew that I needed it a little bit to help.

"It's okay," Andy hummed. "It wasn't your fault. My father attacked me and you did what you had to," she said without an ounce of regret.

The pain of the lie I was living spiked through my heart. "I know… but it still haunts me… like everything else."

"I won't let C-ydna hurt you," she said reading my thoughts immediately. "I've been getting more practice. I can control him better now," she tried to reassure me.

"I know," I said again, petting her sleepy fox ears. "But you can't always control him and… I can never win against him. He…" just talking about C-ydna was making the flashbacks even worse. "He frightens me Andy. He really, really scares me," I wept.

"Shhh, shhhh," she said pulling my head into her chest. "He can't hurt you."

"He can…"

"Come back to bed Skye. You need to try and sleep," Andy said.

I tried but couldn't. Even with Andy holding me and protecting me I couldn't. My eyes closed but my mind didn't. It raced and raced, even making me think that my eyes were open and my worst fears were in bed with me. I stayed motionless for Andy's sake so she could rest. We both had to continue on with work tomorrow.

When Andy woke up I told her that I had slept well but as always she could see through my lies. She wouldn't let me help with our morning routine one bit. Hell she even tried to dress me herself like she was my mom! Only the distractions of coffee and making breakfast got her off of my back. I sat at the table mindlessly petting Basher and Spira when a full course breakfast and coffee that could beat the world's best slid in front of me. Even with that it wasn't enough to uplift my spirit or kick my butt into any sort of normality.

I walked Andy to her testing rooms like normal, her kiss warming up my spirit. When I tried to walk away she kept her fingers interlocked behind my neck, holding me in place.

"Things are going to get better little bird," she told me, "they always do. We have endured through so much and overcome so much that this is nothing for us. We can push past this. We can be happy as long as we are together."

"As long as I'm with you my dearest fox, nothing can go wrong," I said back, glowing weakly.

With that she released me, pecking my cheek one last time before disappearing behind those big doors. I sighed, mentally motivating myself as much as I could. Despite the weight on my shoulders I would make the best of today and the best of the day after. A tiny smile pierced my face as I made my way to my testing rooms.

Past the doors all the scientists and assistants were moving about with a chaotically busy sense of purpose. It was weird though, they weren't doing tests or preparing for experiments. They were packing.

"Ahem," I got one of their attention, "What is going on? Moving day?"

"Oh Skye, good to see you. We have some news to tell you," one of the scientist said, flipping through papers and folders at a desk.

I walked over and pushed some of his papers around, skimming them mindlessly.

"What's happening, you guys forget a number or something?" I joked sarcastically.

"No, no, not something so silly," he said which pissed me off how casual he was. "Our department is shutting down. All the experiments, tests, and training is over."

"Really?" I said, feeling happiness grow within me. It was great news that they weren't going to torture me anymore. "Okay Doc, so what are we doing next? Going outside? Training with actual Grim? More combat training? A jetpack for my exoskeleton?" I asked excitedly. I had been asking for a flight feature on my armor for years.

"None of the above," he said.

"So… what is it?" I asked annoyed now that I wasn't getting a straight answer.

"Nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?"

"I mean everything over. We're done. You're done," he said equally annoyed.

"What do you mean I'm done?" I growled. When he didn't answer me I slammed my fist on his desk, the room going eerily silent with all eyes on me. I grabbed the scientist's collar and brought his face right in front of mine. "What do you mean?" I asked again.

He gasped, holding onto my wrists in horror.

"Th-they canceled the project!" he screamed.

"Explain!"

"I don't know! I don't know! We got the word from our superiors that you were a failed experiment and to shut everything down!" he shrieked.

"Failed?" I growled confused but enraged. "How am I 'failed'?"

"Sk-skye th-they didn't…"

"TELL ME!"

The doc cringed, keeping his mouth shut and his weak arms trying to pry apart my grip. Around the room everyone was staring but no one dared intervene. They all knew how well trained I was, they're the ones that beat these skills into me.

"Tell me, or else I will snap that little neck of yours," I said evilly sweet.

"Y-y-your experiments took too long! Uh, uh, it was too expensive. T-t-to produce one unit for combat was 300 percent over budget! All your exoskeletons no matter how advanced and combat ready can't be mass produced with these specifications! You're too unique! Too many failures. There was…" he shut up as soon as I dropped him, collapsing onto the floor.

I stood there fuming. I wasn't a failure. I could walk, run, sprint, and fight. If I wanted to I could take out everyone in the room right now and not even get a scratch. All those years I gave to this damn place, they all weren't to be labeled a failure. No, I didn't give up near half of my adolescent life to be a failure.

My combat exoskeleton still stood in the corner, secured in its stand. Its weapons and equipment were neatly organized beside it. I walked over to the technicians in charge of it, frightening most of them.

"I'm keeping that," I said pointing at my suit.

"Uh, Skye we can't…" one of the assistants stuttered.

"What?" was all I growled. "Who else is going to use it? It's just going to sit somewhere in storage and gather dust. It was designed for combat, it was designed for me, no one else can use it and it's as much as my own body as my legs."

"Sk-skye," he began again but the head technician cut him off.

"Done."

"You can't do that!" one of the scientists exclaimed.

"She's right though. It's specifically coded and tailored for Skye. Like she said, no one else but she can use it. Skye, we'll pack everything up and leave it here. Leave the paperwork and explanations to us," he said. Before walking away he approached me and put a hand on my shoulder, "It's been an honor working with you all these years."

I didn't care for his sympathy, storming out and heading back for my room. Back inside I was a wreck, hitting the bottle hard. This place was practically all I knew, it was all I had. I didn't know anything else but this. I didn't have anyone else… I didn't know what to do. They were going to ditch me, shove me out the door and let me fend for myself. I wasn't going home, they would only coddle me and treat me like that helpless girl in the wheelchair. There had to be another option.

Hours later and bottles littered the floor, furniture was overturned and my room was a mess. I sat slouched in a chair that I had pulled right in front of all the photos. My body was lax and I felt extremely tired but I kept myself awake staring at each of those pictures. I had gone through every option in my head and only came to one. That one option wasn't going to be easy. It would also destroy me.

I heard Andy burst through the door shouting for me. "Skye?! Skye?! Are you in here?!" she yelled, panicking since I didn't meet her. Then she gasped as she probably saw the mess I had made and my slouched body surrounded by bottles. "Skye, oh my gods…" she muttered running up to me. "Skye can you hear me? Skye wake up!"

"I can hear you stupid fox," I slurred, slouching more in my chair.

"Oh Gods, Skye is it the flashbacks? Are they getting worse?" she asked worriedly, picking me up and helping me to the couch.

"Flashbacks?" I asked, then remembering the past month of haunted nights. "No, it's not that. Did I ever tell you… how beautiful you are?" I asked staring at her.

She ran off ignoring me and came back with a cup of coffee, "Here drink this. You're drunk again." Pausing she glanced around the floor and counted all the empty bottles, "This… is the most you've ever drank. What in the world could make you do this?"

I didn't want to think about that. I wanted to ignore that topic at ever cost.

Falling of my chair I knocked empty bottles out of the way and began crawling for the kitchen. I was intent on getting more alcohol to drown my sorrows in. The coffee mug crashed behind me as it slammed into the floor, Andy running to block my path.

"Skye, no more alcohol for you!" she said, putting two hands lightly on my shoulder.

I shoved her hands off of me, taking a few attempts to actually hit her arms. My sobs filled the room as I tried to crawl past her but couldn't. She rolled me over and dragged me over to the counter where she held me in her arms as she leaned against its side. Her hand pet my head and held me tight.

"What's wrong birdie?" she cooed into my ear.

Just asking only made everything worse. I buried myself into her protective cove, sobbing into her shoulder to no end. Everything hurt, it all just hurt. My mind, my body, my soul, all of it ached. I wanted to die, I wanted all of this to end. The scientists here had already destroyed my world.

I turned in Andy's arms, using her body so that I could face her. Those eyes stared at me worriedly but full of kindness and love. Those beautiful lips of hers were slightly parted, waiting to reassure me, to cheer me up, to say a magic incantations to heal all my wounds. Holding myself up with one hand on her shoulder I raised my other one, crying even more.

"Little birdie?" she asked.

My hand stung like a million bees as I slapped her with all I could. It left a red imprint on her cheek and an even redder one on her heart.

"Sk-skye?"

I yelled out in agony, closing my eyes as I slapped her again. Her sharp cry pierced my heart.

"COME OUT ALREADY!" I said, climbing back up her so I could steady myself to slap her again.

"Skye?" she sobbed, "What are you doing?"

"DAMN IT C-YDNA I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!" I screamed slapping her again.

"Birdie," her voice was unbearable. I felt all of her pain and it filled the cracks forming on my sewn up heart. "Why do you want C-ydna out?"

"IS THAT NOT ENOUGH?! FINE!" I bellowed, bring back my hand once more and forming a fist.

Andy's hand shot up and gripped my wrist with a death hold. Her eyes had darkened and her voice had seeped into a tone that I feared so much.

"My dear, dear, dear little bird," C-ydna singed. "You've been naughty, trying to hurt poor little Andy," he said.

"Hello, C-ydna," I whispered, fear flooded every crevice of my spirit. I relaxed my fist and hung my head low.

"I heard you calling for me sweet thing. You were being quite mean to Andy. I'm going to have to punish you again," he said delightedly.

"Good," I mumbled. "Good. C-ydna, kill me."

"What?" he asked, half surprised and half in disbelief at an answer I'm sure he'd always dreamed of hearing.

"Kill me, C-ydna."

"Oooooooo hoho, hehe, haha, hehehe," he cackled, jumping to his feet and knocking me onto my back, my limp legs folding beneath me. C-ydna pranced around, dancing in a circle in glee. "Oh my. Oh my, oh my, oh my! I never, hehe, never ever, ever thought I'd see the day! See the day when I get to fulfill my dreams!" he sang.

"Today's the day," I said lifelessly, "get it over with."

"My pleasure!"

He took Andy's body and sat on my torso, trapping me in between Andy's legs. His hands slowly reached out and clasped around my neck, feeling the life pulse through it. I felt him use Andy's hands to slowly squeeze my neck, ever so lightly adding more pressure. C-ydna cackled again and I just stared at Andy's eyes, not bothering to resist.

I wanted the last thing I saw in the world to be beautiful and Andy was perfect.

Her eyes locked with mine though and began to shake. The darkness fought against the light within them and I felt the hands around my neck begin to falter.

"N-no," C-ydna's voice melded with Andy's. "N-no!" Andy said with a shout, regaining control of her body. "Oh my god Skye," she wailed, picking me up from the floor and hugging me close.

I took a raspy breath as the air flowed through my reopened throat. My plan had failed.

"Skye! Skye! Why?! Why would you do such a thing?! Why did you bring him out?!" Andy cried as she held me.

"So he could kill me," I told her emotionlessly.

"But why?! We have everything here. We have a home, we have a bed and food and water! We have Basher and Spira! We have our lives… our lives with each other. We have each other… We have our love…" her voice drained of all life.

"No… we don't," I told her.

"Wh-what?" she asked utterly shocked.

"They took it all away Andy. They took it all away from me. Everything," I muttered incoherently.

She stayed quiet, picking me up finally and sitting me down in my wheelchair. It was fitting actually. I started here in this wretched piece of scrap, I should end in the same chair.

"Skye," again, that switch. It was one of the biggest reason I fell for her, that big unselfish heart of hers. "Tell me what's going on," she said patiently, taking my hand in hers.

So I told her, drunkenly slurring out the explanation. I explained how I went to my testing rooms, how they were all packing. Failure, I said it to her again and again. Everything was so numb to me from the alcohol it barely hurt to tell Andy. What hurt the most was betraying her, using her, and ultimately what I had to do next.

"It's going to be okay Skye," Andy tried to reassure me. "We're going to work this out. You can stay here with me until we figure out a plan. I can take care of you and Basher and Spira. I know some of my scientist and the other workers. I'm sure I can work out some deals and-."

"I'm leaving," I said flatly.

"Skye… What… What do you mean?"

"They're not going to let me stay here. They already canceled my whole project. They're going to get rid of me,"

"Skye you can know for certain."

"So I'm going to leave before they can dump me out like the trash."

"But… But Skye, where would you go?"

"I don't know," I told her honestly. "Not home. Maybe Beacon, remember? I can use my abilities there, maybe even become a Huntress. Something, but not here," I said.

"Then… what about… us?" she asked her fox ears betraying her feelings.

I pulled her down so I could scratch those fluffy points. "Come with me. Come along, run away. We can escape this place like old times. We can be together, out there, out in the real world where we belong!"

Andy stared at me silently for what seemed like an eternity. Those eyes of hers searched mine, seeing the all the hope I had.

"No," she said flatly, "I can't leave here."

"But…" I stammered dumbstruck, "Why?"

"I can't leave here. This… this is where we belong Skye."

"We don't belong here!" I bellowed. "We are imprisoned here! We are test subjects! Experiments! Lab rats to be used and thrown away!" I shouted the deep truths that had laid unspoken between us.

"No, no we're not," she whispered defeated.

"They… They sold you! Your parents, your father, sold you to this place!"

Her eyes locked onto me as her hand covered her mouth, shocked. We both knew that this was something that we never talked about but the alcohol and my hate was fueling me.

"No… You're wrong Skye. You're wrong," she said helplessly trying to argue.

"There's nothing here for you!" I screamed.

"There's everything here for us!" she shouted back, sprinting out of the room.

The door slammed shut and my dorm was silent. I had made up my mind. Andy had made up hers. Going into my bedroom and put my leg braces back on and grabbed out the old suitcase that I had brought here years ago. Slamming it onto the bed I began to pack rapidly, like someone was going to burst through my door and try and stop me. I threw all my possessions in there, everything I needed to get by and stormed out not looking back.

Our wall of photos stopped me before I left my dorm though. I approached it, gazing at the dozens of photos plastered on it. My two idiot pet came up beside me and watched too. To this day I don't know why but I went up and plucked two pictures off of it, folding them neatly and placing them in my suitcase.

One of them was of Andy and me on our first official date together, all dressed up and kissing in the twilight. The other was Andy, sitting at the counter with her head resting on her hand staring back at me with a small smile. These two photos called out to me as I looked upon that wall for one final time and something inside me told me to take them.

With my final items I turned and never looked back. I swiftly made my way to my testing room where all the workers had left for their homes. It surprised me how quick they emptied this place. Machines were gone, computers were removed, and papers were collected and filed somewhere else. It left a desolate and rather empty room with barren tables and lonely chairs neatly left alone.

True to their word, the mechanics had packed my exoskeleton and all its gear and accessories into two large cases. I walked over and spotted a note on the larger one that simply read, "Best of wishes and we hope you put this to good use. It was an honor to work with you."

"Thanks guys," I said aloud warmly.

I took the two cases along with my one luggage and left, heading for the front door. This time I wasn't going to bother being sneaky or trying to escape. There was no point, I was never coming back here. The halls were empty until I stepped into the main atrium which was inhabited by only two guards, one at the desk and one standing in the open. They both turned to stare at me surprised.

"You have two choices," I said, my voice amplified by the open space. "Let me pass or let me pass. The second choice will likely end with you two in the hospital."

"Damn it Skye go back to your room. We don't have time for you games," one said nonchalantly.

"Good, neither do I," I said beginning to stroll toward the front door.

"Hey wait! You can't do that! You can't leave stop!" the one standing yelled running after me.

He laid a hand on me and that was all I needed. I spun around and punched him full force in the stomach. His limp body flew back a few feet before he crumpled on the floor, overcome by pain. The other guard sitting down went for an alarm button but it was too late. I drew out my shotgun and shot a shell filled with ice dust, freezing his hand that was inches off the alarm. His cries of pain soon ceased as the front doors closed behind me.

Outside the sky was turning purplish black, the tired sun falling in the distance. The air was cool and fresh as an evening breeze rolled up my side and over my cheek. It was time to leave.

* * *

A couple hundred yards away from the facility I stopped, turning to look back at it. The buildings and fences were a mere shadow in the distance, faintly illuminated by the dying sun. It made it seem so small, the place I had called my home for the past seven or more years. Gods it had been a long time, so long that I had lost track of how many years I had actually spent there. I had arrived when I was 11, or 12, or maybe when I was 9. It was so long ago but here I was now, 17 years old.

As I looked back the last bit of orangey light painted the facilities outer walls. I wondered if she was still in there. Had she noticed that I was gone now? It pained me to think about her still trapped there but it was her decision. I offered, gave her a way out and she said no straight to my face. I would miss her. She was the only person for me, my first and only love.

Spira swooped down from high in the sky, landing squarely on Basher's head. The two loyal idiot Grim, still following me around.

"I told you two to stay back there," I growled.

Basher just ran around me in a circle, his tongue flapping in the wind. He took another lap until her ran up to cuddle my leg, Spira hopping off to perch on my shoulder.

"Your choice," I said feeling a little pain in my heart from the words. "I feel like you're going to get me kicked out of a lot of nice places… and a ton of bad ones too."

With my two pets by my side I turned so that the facility was behind me, walking off into the world ahead.


End file.
